


Starbound

by phantomsong



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Stardust AU, galra is the kingdom (called stormhold in the movie), human!keith, idk what else to tell you it's a stardust au ok, it makes sense later on trust me, keith's world is set in modern day, so keep in mind that all the galra in this are like humans, some death mentions, some minor character deaths, sorta follows the movie, star!lance, thace is keith's father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-08-11 10:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 40,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7887184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomsong/pseuds/phantomsong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Keith loses his desk job at the Galaxy Garrison, he is desperate enough to cross the enchanted Wall to find a falling star in order to save his wounded pride. What he soon discovers is that the star is actually a boy-- an obnoxious, irritating, strangely charming boy-- named Lance. However, Lance’s presence doesn’t go undetected for long, and soon he is being sought out by an evil witch and the greedy princes of the Galra empire, desperate to capture the star’s quintessence for themselves. Through their adventures and misadventures, as Keith attempts to bring his prized star back across the wall, he begins to realize just what is worth fighting for. Stardust AU with changes to fit the VLD characters into it, of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Wall

It is said that the greatest of stories can start with four simple words: Once upon a time. 

Hold on, you might be saying. Isn’t that a little cliche and boring? Why does this story have to start so predictably? Well, dear reader, it is because this is a story so fantastical and magical, so full of danger and bravado, of blood bonds and dark enchantments, and of course, of love that no other words in the English language could do it such justice. But more than anything, it is the tale of a boy and the star he loved--

Pardon me. Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Where was I, before that little tangent?

Oh yes. I remember now.

Once upon a time, there was a village called Wall. It was rather uncreatively named for the crumbling, five-foot-high stone wall that stretched out along the village’s eastern pastures. It was so unassuming and plain, yet little did people imagine what lay on the other side of the stones. For beyond that pasture was the gateway into a dangerous yet enchanting world, filled with more quintessence than any one Wall resident would have in a thousand lifetimes. It was the great kingdom of Galra, ruled by the strong and ruthless King Zarkon. Inhabited by a whole manner of unusual and magical creatures, the kingdom was kept hidden to prevent the two worlds from becoming entwined. 

But the residents of Wall slept blissfully unaware of the strange world only a mile away, most of them never questioning if there was anything on the other side save the plain-looking field that appeared there. 

Mei Kogane was not one of those people. 

For all its importance, the wall had one great flaw, and that was the small dip that brought its height down by half, allowing anyone who knew of it to try to cross over the weak spot. 

Mei had come across it by chance one day, as she was out searching for mushrooms to catalogue in her science journal. But, as she would soon discover, the journal entry for that particular evening would read far differently than anything she had ever written down before. 

As a child, Mei had always wondered about the wall-- and why the village had such strict rules surrounding it. No one goes near the wall after dusk, no one must tamper with the wall at any time, and most importantly, no one must dare cross the wall. And now, as a young adult, as she came across it on that evening, she found herself with a burning question on her mind. 

_If it’s just an ordinary wall, what’s with the guard?_

Mei placed her journal and basket full of toadstool specimens down and decided to find out. 

The guard was a spry, wiry man with a thick red moustache which he twirled around, using his fingers like a curling iron. “Ho there!” he called out as Mei approached. “Wrong way, miss! No entry beyond this point, I’m afraid!”

“Why not?” Mei asked innocently. “It’s just a field.”

“Because I said so, that’s why.”

“But that’s stupid! Look!” she gestured her arms wildly, pointing at the pastures beyond the wall. “Do you see anything out of the ordinary there? Any ‘No Trespassing’ signs? Any quicksand pits? No! And you know why? _It’s a field! A goddamn ordinary field!_ ”

Mei tried to push forward, but the guard held her back. “It doesn’t matter what’s over there. The point is you’re not crossing this wall, and that’s final!” he insisted. 

The young woman let out a sigh. “Fine. If you insist, I’ll just go home now.” 

“Good, good,” the guard said approvingly. “You have a nice night now, Ms. Kogane. Say hi to little Shiro for me.”

He let out a contented sigh and turned his back as Mei began to walk home. And that’s when, quick as a flash, the woman rapidly spun around and charged over the dip in the wall.

“Hey!” the guard shouted, desperately grabbing at her, but it was a little too late for him. 

With a whoop of excitement, Mei was across, sprinting through that other field and into the patch of woods that lay beyond. 

It was only after she had wandered around aimlessly in the woods for five minutes did Mei realize that she hadn’t thought this through very well. What was she exactly expecting to find? A dark tower with a captured princess atop it? A troll underneath a bridge, threatening to eat trespassers? Perhaps her intuitions had been completely wrong. Perhaps there was nothing special about this place, and all she would find was the barrel of an angry farmer’s shotgun. 

Then she heard it. Music, fast-paced and trilling. Loud and rowdy laughter. Echoing shouts of merriment drifting through the trees. Excitedly, Mei picked up the pace, jogging over to where the trees thinned. She stopped, gazing over a valley full of tents and caravans, packed with people in strange, old-fashioned costumes. Perhaps it was some kind of local Renaissance Fair, she mused. She hadn’t ever heard of any of the sort happening this close to Wall, but who knew? 

However, as she descended into the valley, it became increasingly clear to her that this was no historical reconstruction. There were strange, bizarre creatures trapped in cages: a teeny elephant with two heads, a lizard with six arms and three barbed tails, and many other bizarre things. Mei yelped as a dragon the size of a small dog leapt out at her, hissing, before being jolted back by its owner, who offered her a quick word of apology. 

Street vendors shouted out from their caravans as Mei made her way down the central stretch. Her head spun, and she was caught up in a dizzy sort of glee. Magic spells crackled above her head as people tried to show off their goods. Mei wished desperately that she had money so she could at least get some kind of souvenir; some proof that she had been here, that she had crossed the wall and arrived in a bizarre fantasy land so different than she could ever have imagined. Perhaps she would have to come back, or at least try to. Her thoughts wandered back to home, and to Shiro. He would love it here, she knew. If only he could see this...

She was looking around for any sort of thing she could take back with her to prove her trip’s existence when she caught sight of a young man, sitting on the steps of a yellow caravan. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Her gaze drifted down to the merchandise that he had laid out in front of him. There was a jar full of little crystal flowers, and Mei gingerly picked one up.

“How much?” she asked.

The young man stood up, a cute smile teasing his lips. “Hmm… It depends. It might be the colour of your hair, or perhaps all your memories before your third birthday.”

Mei stared at him, confused. Was he being serious?

“Or…” he reached over and plucked a little white flower out of the jar. “If you want something truly special, you should look at this one right here. It’s a snowdrop.”

Mei took it from him, admiring it. “It is very beautiful,” she admitted.

“It is,” he agreed. “But beauty is not all that flower has to offer. It also works as a protection charm. Quite handy, if you ask me.”

“How much does it cost?”

“Well… That one costs a kiss…” he said, pointing to his reddening cheek. 

Perhaps it was the sheepish expression on the young man’s face, or the cute blush that spread across his cheeks, but as Mei was leaning in, she suddenly found herself directing her kiss towards his lips. 

The young man seemed surprised, but he closed his eyes, moving his hands to the small of Mei’s back and savouring it. 

Mei broke away with a gasp. Her face instantly went red. “I… I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

“I-It’s okay.” He slipped the flower into the breast pocket in Mei’s dress. “My name’s Thace.”

“I’m Mei.”

Thace grinned. “Nice to meet you, Mei. So, tell me. How did a lovely lady such as yourself end up here?”

“Well,” Mei said with a sigh. “That’s a long story.”

Thace sat back down on the caravan’s steps, patting the spot next to him. “I’ve got time.”

Mei sat down and began. She started with the moment she had crossed over the wall, but Thace was so captivated that she found herself divulging more and more as the night went on. She talked about her studies as a mycologist, and all the interesting rare species she had discovered around Wall. She talked about her son, Shiro, and the exciting pirate-themed sixth birthday party she had planned for him next month. She even talked about her ex-husband, who had been killed two years prior in a terrible fire, and how his loss had affected both her and her son greatly.

“It must have been hard. I’m sorry to hear about that,” Thace said quietly as she finished the story. 

Mei looked at him, her eyes blurred by the tears that had snuck out while she was talking. “It’s alright. I mean, I still think about it a lot, but it’s getting better. I’m getting used to this new life. I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. 

“I… sort of have something to tell you, too.” Thace lifted up his leg to reveal a silver chain, tied around his ankle. “I’m not a merchant. I’m a prisoner. I was captured by a horrible witch several years ago when I got lost hunting with my brothers. Not only that, but I’m also a prince of Galra. My father, the great King Zarkon, never went looking for me, and here I remain.”

Mei gasped. “Thace, that’s horrible! Here, let me...” She took out a small Swiss Army Knife from her pocket and grabbed onto the chain, severing it with the blade. However, the broken ends of the chain immediately re-attached, leaving Mei with a short piece of the silver rope.

Thace smiled sadly. “It’s an enchanted chain. Unfortunately, only the end of the witch’s bloodline can set me free. And although the witch herself is old, she has a daughter who is young and strong. It will take strength much greater than my own to free me from this cursed life.”

“Where’s the witch right now?”

“Away. She leaves me to manage the shop, since she knows I can’t go anywhere.” He laughed bitterly. “I’m all alone here.”

“Well, I can’t be here for much longer, but I can stay the rest of the night at least,” Mei offered.

Thace smiled. “Thanks, Mei. I appreciate that.”

True to her word, Mei stayed with Thace until the crack of dawn. They talked some more, but had ultimately ended up in the caravan, with the door shut behind them as they engaged in a different, more intimate behaviour. 

When she awoke the next morning, Mei quickly dressed herself. She pressed a kiss to Thace’s forehead, and he let out a contented sleepy sigh. 

“May we meet again someday,” she whispered as she opened the door and slipped out. 

***

It had been nine months since Mei and Thace had been together, a union that had resulted in the birth of a baby boy. Upon his arrival, Mei gave a letter to the guard at the wall to have delivered to the other side. It contained photographs of the newborn, and of his proud older brother and mother as they cradled him, full of hope and love. 

Three months later, the guard showed up at Mei’s door with a package. Inside was a letter and a cylindrical object wrapped in brown parcel paper. The letter was addressed to Mei, while the gift was addressed to baby Keith. 

Dear Mei,  
Keith is a truly beautiful child, I could not be more proud to be his father. Although I must keep this letter short in fear of the witch finding out about this, I want to let you know that although I cannot be there in person, I will always be there in spirit for you, Shiro, and Keith. When Keith is ready, tell him to open the gift. Inside is a Babylon Candle. Tell him if he wants to meet his father he must light it and think only of me. Please, stay safe and don’t come looking for me in the meanwhile. It will only bring you harm.  
All my love,  
Thace 

Mei pressed the letter into her chest and sighed. She gazed over at her sleeping infant son. He let out a small noise as his teeny hand reached up, stretching towards the ceiling. 

Mei Kogane did not know it yet, but her story was almost over. Little Keith’s, however, was only about to begin...


	2. Chapter One: Fired Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's story begins!

“Kogane, I’ve had enough!”

Keith winced as Iverson slammed his hands down on the front of his desk, leaning menacingly over the boy so close that Keith could feel his supervisor’s musky breath on his forehead. Slowly, the eighteen-year-old leaned back in his desk chair, pushing himself a few inches away from the man’s spit-filled mouth. His dark, tired indigo eyes rolled up lazily at his boss, his eyebrows furrowing. “Do you need something, sir?”

Iverson’s scowl deepened. “You know perfectly well why I’m here, Kogane!” Spit strands flew out of his mouth as he punctuated the first letter of each word. “I’m sick and tired of your attitude! I hired you because I thought you had promise, Kogane. Not because you’re arrogant and lazy!”

_Blah blah blah,_ Keith thought. _You’ve been spewing the same shit at me ever since I got here. Just leave me alone now. I have work to do._ He turned away to go back to scanning over the data report he had been working on before he had been so rudely interrupted. The Galaxy Garrison was very demanding for deadlines, and Keith could not afford more than a minute’s break with his current schedule. As the country’s leading space center-- and the only place to bring any importance to Wall-- the Garrison did not tolerate failure. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Iverson snapped, plucking the sheets of paper out of Keith’s hands. “I’m not done with you yet!”

“Listen,” Keith interrupted, before the older man could launch into one of his tirades. “I turn in all my reports on time and without error. I’ve been here for six months and am still on an entry-level position. Instead of shouting at me, why don’t you just shut up for once and give me the goddamn promotion I deserve?!”

The thick vein on Iverson’s forehead bulged. “Not satisfied with your job, eh? That’s it. You’re finished, Kogane. Get out.”

“Yeah, yeah-- wait, what?” Keith instantly straightened up, glaring at his supervisor. 

Iverson smirked. “Did you hear me, Kogane? I said, you’re finished. Now pack up your stuff, ‘cuz I want you out of this office in five minutes!”

“You’re firing me?!” Keith could not believe his ears. “You can’t just fire me! What the hell did I do?!”

“Do you need a list, Kogane? Let’s see… There’s repeated tardiness, constantly mouthing off to superiors, ignoring protocol on several occasions, refusal to adhere to dress code, napping during a fire drill...” Iverson listed them off, using his fingers to count each one. “But to be concise, I have ‘em all listed down as “discipline issues.” I’m sick and tired of your little smartass attitude! Better start packing, kid. You’ll get your severance pay sometime next week.”

Keith watched through narrowed eyes as Iverson strutted away victoriously, the deed done. He leaned back in his chair once more, dumbfounded at what had just happened. Had he… Had he really just been fired? Seriously?

It took a moment for his head to clear, and the seriousness of his situation hit him like a brick to the back of the head. “Damn it!” he shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. “Damn it damn it damn it!” Angrily, he shoved the chair backwards and began stuffing the few personal items he had lying around into his backpack. 

Slinging the pack over his shoulder, Keith gave the desk one last kick, cursing as his toe connected with the hard wood surface. Papers scattered onto the floor like large, clumsy snowflakes as he whirled around, leaving the cubicle in disarray. 

Keith kept his eyes trained on the door as he stormed out, not bothering to disguise his disgust. He felt the stares of his co-workers-- no, former co-workers-- shooting holes into him as he leaned onto the door with his shoulder, pushing his way out. Sighing, he stopped in the doorway and stole one last glance behind him. A strange sadness crept into his chest, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. All those rows of cubicles full of workers flitting about like bees and glowing screens lighting up important calculations and astronomy equipment positioned upwards to take readings of the night sky would never be his again. 

He had blown it. His big chance. 

And worst of all, now he was going to have to face Shiro with the news. 

***

“Shiro, I lost my job,” Keith said to the mirror. He frowned. Even his own face looked extremely disappointed in him. 

He tried again. “Shiro, I lost my job. I… I’m so sorry.”

Nope. Still not good enough. Needed to be more convincing and a little less… pathetic. But maybe that’s what Keith was now. Pathetic. That, and jobless. 

Keith puffed up his chest and straightened out his shoulders. “Shiro,” he started solemnly.

“You lost your job,” finished a deep, warm voice from directly behind Keith. 

Keith yelped and spun around to see his older brother standing behind him, his prosthetic arm crossed over his flesh one and a stern expression on his face.

“H-How did you know?!” Keith sputtered indignantly. 

Shiro smiled, but there was no joy in his eyes. “It’s all over town. I suppose it’s big news in Wall when someone gets let go from the most important space center in the country.”

Keith groaned and turned away. “Great. I’m the town gossip. Just what I need right now.”

His brother placed an arm on his back reassuringly. “Cheer up, Keith. It’s not the end of the world.”

“It might as well be, for all I care.” 

“I’m sure you’ll find another job. You’ll be fine, trust me.”

“Not at the Galaxy Garrison, I won’t, though,” Keith muttered. “I had a chance, and I screwed it up. Ugh, what would Mom say if she were here?”

“She’d be disappointed in you, of course, but she wouldn’t stop believing in you for a second. It’s just a bump in the road, that’s all. You’ll get back on your feet soon enough.” Shiro lightly tugged at Keith’s elbow. “Come with me.”

Without a word of complaint, Keith let his brother tow him outside their small house. 

“Wait there,” Shiro instructed him before going into the shed, emerging seconds later with a ladder that he then propped up against the side of the house. 

Silently, the two brothers crawled up the ladder and onto the roof, dangling their legs over the edge. The sky was beginning to fade into a soft pink hue as the sun sank behind the fields on the other side of the famous wall. Keith gazed up at his brother. Shiro was six years his senior but the scar across his nose and his prematurely-greying hair gave the impression of someone who was much older. His father had died when he was only four, and Keith’s arrival two years later had forced him into an almost-father role, which the death of their mother a decade after only solidified. Keith had never known his father, but with Shiro around, he hardly thought it mattered. With his mother gone, Shiro was his family; his everything. It wasn’t even the fact he had mouthed off to Iverson that he felt bad about. It was the fact he had let Shiro down that festered away at Keith’s insides. 

Shiro must’ve noticed how Keith had slumped over dejectedly, because he placed a reassuring arm around his shoulders. If it had been anyone else, Keith would’ve scoffed and brushed them off, but with the recent disappointments of the day, Shiro’s presence was sorely needed. Keith leaned into his brother’s shoulder, too ashamed to look up and face him anymore. 

They sat there wordlessly, watching as the colour began to drain from the sky. _I should be at the Garrison right now,_ Keith thought bitterly. _I should be sitting at my desk, filing important data and archiving mission logs. You know, actually doing stuff. But now I’m useless. I should have tried harder. I need to show Iverson what I’m made of, so one day I can do the field work. That’s why I was there in the first place. But I just had to go complaining about the boring desk work. And now everything’s ruined. I have to get that job back. I have to…_

“Keith, look.” Shiro gently brushed his shoulder, jolting him out of his stupor. He raised his prosthetic arm and pointed with an outstretched metal finger. 

Keith craned his neck, gazing upwards at the blanket of stars that slowly spread out across the sky. His eyes widened as he took in the sight.

“Quite a sight prettier than you ever saw at the Garrison, huh?” Shiro teased.

“Yeah,” Keith breathed. At the Garrison, he had always been obstructed by paperwork and flashing screens to fully appreciate the simple beauty of the nighttime sky. His heart lifted, pushing away the burdens of the day for a brief moment. Admittedly, he said, “I guess I haven’t really taken the time to appreciate them since we lost Mom.”

“Mom sure loved the stars,” Shiro agreed. He pointed. “You see that really bright one up there?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s the Evening Star. Mom once told me that if you ever get lost, follow it and you’ll be able find your way home, no matter where you are.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Anywhere?”

Shiro shrugged. “That’s how the story goes, apparently.” 

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, well, she also used to say that each star burned with enough quintessence that if a mortal managed to capture one, they could live forever.” Shiro shook his head, laughing. “Not that I believe in that, of course. It’s weird to think of stars as some kind of celestial beings, although... Sometimes, when I’m looking at them, I get the strange feeling that they’re staring back at me.” 

Keith pondered this, wondering what the stars would be thinking if they could see him at this very moment. They would probably laugh at me for getting booted out of the Garrison like that. He cringed at the thought. 

Fortunately for Keith, however, the stars were not looking down at him as he sat on the roof of his house, wallowing in his misery. No, their attention was undividedly fixated on the other side of the wall, in the kingdom of Galra. For on that very night, something was occurring in the highest room of the castle’s tallest tower. Something that, unbeknownst to Keith Kogane, would alter the course of the boy’s fate forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally made up the astronomy stuff based on a line that was in the movie :' ) 
> 
> Okay, so why post the first real chapter so quickly? I don't know. It's here. Hopefully I'll get the second chapter up within a day or two. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter Two: A Star Falls

Across the wall, in the kingdom of Galra, three of the surviving princes gathered around their father’s bedside. Once the paragon of strength and power, King Zarkon now lay still, immobilized by the weight of his own frail body. Through half-lidded eyes, he peered around the room, taking in the three faces that looked down upon him. 

“Prorok… Nexus… Sendak…” he croaked. “Where is Myzax?”

“Coming soon, Father,” Prince Prorok spoke up. 

“And what of Thace?”

“His whereabouts are still unknown. He is most likely dead.”

Zarkon’s eyes flitted up to where his second-youngest son stood. “Sendak. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, now, would you?”

Sendak licked his lips, revealing his trademark sadistic smirk. “I’m afraid not, Father. Though the heavens know I wish I did have something to do with the demise of that weakling.”

“Of course.” Zarkon’s mouth cracked open into a sneer. “Your bloodthirstiness will serve you well, my son.”

Sendak bowed. “I aim to carry on your legacy, Father...” His eyes shifted over to cast a glare at his brothers. “When I secure the throne for myself.”

Prorok and Nexus exchanged a glance, shuddering in unison. Both of them had many suspicions regarding the sudden deaths of two other princes of Galra, both of whom they were certain met their ends at the tip of Sendak’s blade. 

Zarkon let out a cough, bringing the princes’ attentions back to the bed. “You all know the traditions of Galra. At the time of the king’s death, the final surviving member of the royal family will become king, as I did before you.”

The three princes nodded along to their father’s speech. 

“Sendak.” Zarkon’s eyes rested on his son. “How exactly did I become king?”

“You murdered your own brothers, Father,” Sendak answered proudly. 

“Good boy. Only the strongest shall take the throne.”

“Father,” Prorok interrupted. “Myzax has arrived.”

Zarkon’s lips peeled open to reveal a rotten smile. “Good. Let him in.”

The doors to the bedroom opened, and in marched a hulking brute of a man. His one good eye surveyed his three brothers before resting on the dying king.

“Father,” Myzax grunted. 

“Myzax. The strongest of my warriors. Go over to the window,” Zarkon instructed. 

Myzax obeyed, shuffling over to stare out onto the darkened valley below. 

“Now, what do you see?” the king asked. 

“The kingdom,” Myzax answered. 

“And what else?”

“Uh… the sky.”

“No, no. Look closer.”

Myzax leaned over the windowsill, craning his neck, unsure of what exactly his father wanted him to see. Zarkon stared right at Sendak and jerked his head in Myzax’s direction. Sendak’s lips curled into a sneer. Quickly, he crept over, hovering behind his brother. 

“I don’t see-- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Myzax let out a scream as Sendak shoved him out the window. He tumbled down into the sharp rocks below the castle, hitting the ground with a loud SPLAT!

“Ah ha ha ha hee hee hee…” Zarkon chuckled delightedly. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had that kind of fun. You see, boys, a great leader is more than just muscle. You’ll need to have your wits about you if you wish to become king.”

The three surviving princes instantly took four paces away from each other. Prorok caught a glimpse of Sendak and shivered at the look of cold pleasure his brother wore. 

“However,” Zarkon continued, taking a moment to let out a loud gurgling cough. “This brings me to my current dilemma. There are three of you, but there can only be one ruler, and I fear I will not last the night in this state. Therefore, this matter must be resolved in a non-traditional manner. If I cannot be here to determine which one of you is the strongest and most worthy, I will have to put measures in place to ensure a hard-won victory.”

The king slowly lifted a large ruby necklace from around his neck. He brushed his hand over it, using his quintessence to dissolve the blood red gem into a clear white crystal. “Whichever one of you retrieves this necklace, changing the diamond back into a ruby, will become the next king of Galra.”

Zarkon raised his hand, floating the necklace in the air. The three princes stared at it, transfixed. 

Sendak made the first move, leaping at the necklace that dangled so tantalizingly within his reach. But the king had one final trick up his sleeve. Using the last of his quintessence, Zarkon jerked the necklace away from the trio, just inches from Sendak’s reach, and flung it out the window, straight into the night sky. Sendak, Prorok, and Nexus shoved each other out of the way as they tried to get a good read on where the necklace went, but it was far beyond their sight. 

***

The necklace, however, was still travelling up. Up and up and up until its path became suddenly obstructed. With a loud bang and an intense burst of light, the necklace collided with a celestial body. If one was up in the night sky at that very moment, witnessing the event from a few feet away, one might have heard an annoyed “Hey!” right before the star began to fall. 

***

The three princes let out a collective gasp at the explosion, watching as the star descended through the sky. At that time, however, none of them gave much thought to it. They were more interested in the idea of potential kingship than a mere star. Their minds were fixated on the necklace, and a few various schemes to acquire it. 

It was Prorok who broke away from the window first. “Father!” he gasped out, rushing to the king’s side. Zarkon’s veiny, wrinkled wrists no longer held a pulse, and his ragged breathing had completely ceased. “He’s gone.”

King Zarkon, it had seemed, had died as he had lived, with a cruel sneer on his face and a nefarious plan in motion that would no doubt leave a massive body count behind. 

***

However, the three princes of Galra were not the only ones who had witnessed the explosion and the descent of the star. In an old castle made of black glass nestled into the mountainside, someone else had taken notice. Her focus, however, was purely on the star. 

“A star has fallen!” Haggar cackled, rubbing her claw-like hands together in excitement. “Come to me, my druids! A star has fallen once more!”

From the shadows, two cloaked figures emerged, their faces hidden behind sharp ovular masks with bright yellow eyes. “Master Haggar, we heed your summon,” they chorused in their low, dull voices. 

“Very good,” the witch crowed. “It has been four hundred years since the last star fell. My magic has grown weaker. I need more quintessence! Come, my druids. We will find this star and gather its power for ourselves!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a shorter chapter, and with much less pleasant characters, but we'll return to Keith soon. Next chapter will most likely come out tomorrow. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated and thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter Three: Bargain Struck

Over on the other side of the wall, where Keith and Shiro sat on their roof and stared at the night sky, they, too, caught the amazing sight. 

Shiro was barely awake and had begun to doze off when Keith elbowed him, pointing to the sky. “Hey, look! A shooting star!”

“Quick! Make a wish!” Shiro said with a sleepy grin. 

Keith thought for a moment. _I wish that I could do something great-- greater than the Garrison has ever seen. So great that they’ll have to take me back and give me a promotion._

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden shake, the ground vibrating as the star collided with it.

“Woah!” Keith grabbed onto the rain gutter. 

“You okay?” Shiro asked, concerned. 

“Yeah,” Keith replied. “The meteorite must be close for it to have an impact like that.”

“If I’m correct, I think it may have landed just beyond the wall there.”

“Beyond the wall?”

“Yeah.”

An idea slowly began to form in Keith’s head. “Do you think the Garrison’s gonna go out looking for it?”

“Probably not. Even they don’t cross the wall,” Shiro answered. He frowned. “I know that face. Keith, you’re not seriously thinking what I think you’re thinking, right?”

“No, of course not,” Keith said absentmindedly. If the Garrison wouldn’t cross the wall, then perhaps… Perhaps they would need the help of someone who would… Perhaps they would consider giving said person their job back…

Shiro didn’t look convinced at Keith’s lie, but he didn’t push the matter further. “Come on, let’s go to bed. You’re gonna need that sleep if you’re going to get back on the job hunt tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Keith slid his legs onto the ladder and climbed down, Shiro following closely behind. 

***

Keith awoke the next morning with a semblance of a plan in his head. He quietly crept out of bed, dressed himself, tiptoed past Shiro’s room, and made his way out the door before his brother even knew he was up. It was a good thing, too, because Shiro would definitely disapprove of what he was about to do. 

The Galaxy Garrison’s office opened officially at 6:00 AM, but usually the only ones there so early in the morning were the janitors and, more often than not, Iverson. To Keith’s luck, he found his pass hadn’t yet been deactivated. He was incredibly grateful he didn’t have to explain to the toll guard what he was up to. The guy behind the counter was hardly awake and didn’t seem to notice-- or care-- that Keith Kogane had been fired the day before. He merely scanned his pass and waved him through with a vacant, un-caffeinated look in his eyes. 

Keith made his way down to where Iverson’s office was, being careful not to get caught by the much more vigilant custodians. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder before ducking into the office. Iverson wasn’t there, so Keith took a seat in the plastic chair that faced the desk and waited. 

Ten minutes later, he heard the clomping of Iverson’s boots down the hallway. The man was loudly whistling some off-key military march as he walked. Keith took a deep breath, waiting for him to round the corner. 

Iverson stopped cold in his tracks as he caught sight of the young man sitting there. “KOGANE?! What in the blazes are you doing in my office?!”

“Relax, Iverson,” Keith said, calmly crossing his arms. “I just need to talk. Then I’ll leave and I won’t bother you anymore, I promise.”

Iverson looked as if he was about to argue, but instead, he pulled out the swiveling chair from underneath his desk and sat down. “Make it quick,” he said in a low voice. 

Keith nodded. “Yes, sir. Did you see that shooting star-- er, meteorite-- that fell last night?”

Iverson narrowed his eyes at Keith suspiciously. “Yes. What of it?”

“Does the Garrison have any plans to acquire it?”

“Not since it went across the wall.”

“So… You’re not going to go get it?”

“What?!” Iverson looked as if Keith had just insulted his mother. “Don’t be absurd, Kogane! Nobody crosses the wall! Nobody!”

Keith uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “What if someone did?”

“And risk getting the entire Garrison into a deep load of shit? Ha! You’ve wasted enough of my time already with your nonsense! Now get out--”

“Hold on,” Keith interrupted. “What if someone not in the Garrison crossed the wall, found the meteorite, and brought it back, donating it to the Galaxy Garrison upon their return?”

“Well, then that person would have to be crazy! That, or really really damn stupid. Who would do a thing like that for free?”

“Oh, I didn’t say it would be for free.” Keith smirked. “I’ll get that meteorite sample for you if you give me back my job.”

Iverson burst out laughing. “You?! Cross the wall?! To bring me back a meteorite?! You’re outta your mind, Kogane! It’d take a man full of much more substance than your weak, empty promises to even try!”

“I’ll do it,” Keith insisted. “Just give me a chance. I know how much a sample like that would mean to the Garrison. And if you’re not willing to risk any of your own lives, why not risk mine? I’m the only one here with anything to lose!”

“Hmph.” Iverson furrowed his brow, weighing the value of the proposition. “...Fine. You have one month, and one month only to bring me back that meteorite.”

Keith could feel his jaw drop open. “Then I can get my job back?”

Iverson smirked. “Sure, kid. Hell, if you manage to actually pull this off, I’ll give you that promotion you’ve always dreamed of as well.”

“Great, then, I suppose we have a deal.” Keith stuck out his right hand, and Iverson shook it. 

“One month, Kogane,” the Garrison official shouted after Keith as he exited the office. “Oh, and next time, make an appointment!”

Once Iverson was alone, he let out a sharp laugh. Who did that snot-nosed brat think he was? There was no way that Keith Kogane, of all people-- one of the laziest, most arrogant smartasses he had ever had the displeasure of dealing with-- would be able to cross the wall and bring back some fallen star sample, and definitely not within the course of a month.

“Iverson, old boy, you’re gettin’ too damn clever for your own good,” he chuckled to himself. The Kogane brat didn’t stand a chance, but it might be entertaining to watch him fail in the meanwhile. 

***

Keith let out a sigh of relief as he exited the Garrison premises. Hope surged through him, filling him up with a strange, bubbly energy. Today, he would not be job hunting with Shiro. No, instead he would be getting his life back on track, and that shooting star was the key. 

The wall wouldn’t be that hard to cross, he reasoned. He was frankly quite surprised more people didn’t try it. Surely those ridiculous old superstitions would’ve been proven wrong by now…

_Only one way to find out. Oh boy. Shiro is going to kill me if he ever finds out about this._

***

Thinking ahead had never been one of Keith’s strong points. Mostly, whenever he got into trouble, he sat back and let his instincts kick in, and nine times out of ten, those instincts screamed _fight!_ But as he came upon the guard at the wall, he realized that this was one of those situations he couldn’t simply swing his fists out of. 

The guard was sitting on a wicker chair, back against the wall, holding a little porcelain teacup with his pinky finger sticking out. “Wrong way, kiddo,” he shouted as Keith approached. “I’m afraid this area is off limits!”

Keith took a deep breath, feeling slightly annoyed by the guard’s apparent lack of vigor. “Listen,” he started. “I need to cross the wall. It’s really important, so you gotta let me through--”  
The guard snorted. “I most certainly do not have to do anything of the sort! Don’t you know the rules? No one crosses this wall!”

“Yeah, I know that, but this is different--”

“Oh, is it now?”

“Yes,” Keith snapped, his patience wearing dangerously thin. “Just let me through already!”

“Mighty impatient, I see.” The guard took a sip, not caring at all about Keith or his mission. “You can sit there and throw your hissy fit all you want. I’m still not letting you through.”

“Just--”

“Zip it.”

“For--”

“Ziiiiiiiiiiiip! It!”

Keith let out a loud huff. “Fine! I really don’t want to hurt an old man, but you leave me no choice! I’m getting through this goddamn wall and I’m getting through _right now!_ ”

“Old man, am I?” The guard cocked an eyebrow. He stood up, placing the teacup down on the chair and picked up his tall wooden staff. “Bring it on, lad! Come at me!”

“I will!” Keith hissed. He leapt forward, charging straight at the dip in the wall with his fists out, ready to push the older man aside. 

THWACK!

Before Keith had even time to process what he was doing, he was sprawled out on the ground with the guard standing over him, looking irritatingly smug about it. Keith groaned and propped himself up on his elbows, his head still spinning from the hit. 

The guard shook his head, tsk-tsking the defeated Keith. “You Kogane are a real reckless bunch! Always trying to cross the wall and stubborn as hell itself!”

“What do you mean?” Keith wondered, confused. Had someone else before him in his family done this before him? 

“Never you mind, boy. Now, off with you.”

“Fine,” Keith grumbled, pulling himself to his feet. He began to tread away when another idea struck him. His instincts once again took the helm, and just as the guard turned away, he whirled around and charged straight back.

Every inch of Keith’s body screamed at him to keep going, keep moving, don’t slow down, don’t stop, gotta cross the wall, gotta cross the--

THWACK!

“You really don’t learn, do you?” 

Keith’s face burned-- from injury or embarrassment, he wasn’t sure which. He rubbed at his throbbing forehead, feeling the goose egg of a bump the guard had just given him. Strong arms gripped Keith, pulling him upwards. He stumbled, righted himself, and began the walk of shame back through the woods. Every bit of fight had been completely drained out of him, and he hurt all over.

“Give my best to Shiro!” the guard called out behind him as he trudged away. 

***

Not for the first time in two days, Keith was left to face Shiro with a record of his bad behaviour. His brother didn’t say a word as he stumbled through the door, a hand still rubbing at his throbbing head. 

Keith plopped down on a chair and groaned. His back was stiff, his legs burned, and his forehead felt like it had been dented, but nothing hurt quite as bad as his wounded pride. 

Shiro frowned at him. “You didn’t.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Keith, I told you--”

“Just leave me alone, Shiro!” Keith snapped. He reached for the fridge, pulling the freezer door open and rummaged around for an ice pack. 

Shiro stood up and walked over, finding the pack and handing it to Keith. 

“Thanks,” Keith grunted. He pressed it against his forehead. 

“The guard really did a number on you, huh,” Shiro murmured. Then he chuckled. “Y’know, he’s, like, eighty years old.”

“He’s had plenty of time to practice, then,” Keith retorted, his face heating up. “I was going easy on him. Who beats up an old man, anyways?”

Shiro laughed. “Point taken. But… I am curious to know… What the hell possessed you to try to cross the wall in the first place?”

Keith sighed. “I talked to Iverson, and--”

“You did what now?!”

“Just listen to me, Shiro. I talked to Iverson and he said that if I crossed the wall and found that shooting star, then he’d give me my job back, plus a promotion. And I only have a month to do it.”

Shiro was thoughtfully silent as he took in the information. “You… You’re really serious about this Garrison business, aren’t you?”

Keith nodded. “I have to get that job back. It’s the only way I’m ever gonna do anything great with my life. I can’t just sit there and do nothing when I’ve got this chance. I won’t blow it again.”

“I understand this means a lot to you, and I’ll do what I can to help. But no more fighting the wall guard, okay?”

“Fine.” Then a sudden thought struck Keith. “Hey, Shiro?”

“Yeah?”

“When I was, um, talking to the guard, he said something like ‘you Kogane are always trying to cross the wall.’ What did he mean by that? Did someone else in our family cross the wall?”

Shiro’s face darkened. He took a deep breath and faced his brother very solemnly. “Well… I suppose it’s finally time you learned the truth. Keith, there’s something I need to show you. It’s about Mom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to put the bit with Keith and the guard in a new chapter but was then like "Nah I need to get the action going" so yeah kind of a long chapter! Ah well. I had fun writing it. Next chapter will most likely be up tomorrow, and ooh boy, I'm looking forward to that one. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated and thanks for reading! :)


	5. Chapter Four: Starbound

Remember King Zarkon’s necklace and the star it hit? Well, you might be wondering just what had happened to said star, after it had been so forcefully and rudely launched into the ground. And fear not, dear reader, for I’m about to tell you. 

Over on the other side of the wall, there was another boy. He lay in the midst of a crater, barely conscious and completely unaware of his current predicament. Despite the great lengths he had fallen, his body bore no wounds nor marks. Even his silvery tunic had not been scuffed in the slightest. 

He let out a soft moan as his eyes slowly flickered open. “Wassgoingon?”

His question was answered by the hoot of an owl. 

“Who? I dunno. Who’re you? Who’s there?” he mumbled, reaching up and rubbing his eyes. Everything was so dark and blurry. “Hey? Hel-lloooo?”

He blinked, his vision beginning to clear. The first things he noticed were the branches of trees and the blanket of stars above him. 

_Wow, look at all those shiny dots up there! Hold on… Something looks familiar… Wait, no… It can’t be… Are those…? Am I…?_

“Woah, woah! Not the sky! Not the sky! Not good!” His mind raced. Where was he? What happened to him? And what was that weird shiny object over there? 

He shifted onto his elbows and inched over. Lying in the dirt was a beautiful diamond necklace. The star grabbed it and wiped it off with his sleeve. “Ooh! Sweet! Finders keepers!” 

Slipping the necklace over his head, he grinned to himself. “Dashing as ever, yep, that’s me! Well, gotta find some way outta here.”

He struggled to his feet, nearly toppling over. “Woah!” His outstretched arms broke his fall. Palms firmly rooted on the ground, he propelled himself upwards, lurching into an unstable standing position. He put his arms out for balance, slowly taking his first steps into this strange new world. 

***

Keith wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as Shiro led him up into the attic and told him to sit down. His brother rummaged around inside a box labeled “Mom stuff” for a minute. Finally, Shiro let out a triumphant “Ah ha!” and pulled out a cylindrical object wrapped in brown parcel paper. 

“I feel as if I should’ve told you this a long time ago, Keith, but Mom made me swear not to tell you until you were old enough to handle the truth.” Shiro let out a sigh. “I can only relate to you what she told me, and even then, there are still many questions I want answered. But I might as well start at the beginning…”

Keith sat, transfixed, as Shiro told him the tale of Mei Kogane, the woman who had crossed the wall and spent a night with one of its inhabitants. He talked of all the strange and wonderful things she had seen on the other side, all of which she had scribbled down in her diary, and of course, of the enslaved boy she had loved. 

“I have a father?” Keith asked incredulously, his brow furrowed. 

“Yes,” Shiro confirmed. “Although she never told me much more than his name, and that he was a prisoner of some sort. She often confided in me of how much she wished she could see him again, right up until the day she died…”

“But wait-- If we don’t have the same father, then that would that make us...”

“Half-brothers. Yes. But whoever your father was, I will always think of you as my precious little brother, Keith. Don’t you worry about that.” Shiro patted him on the back reassuringly. “Oh, before I forget, here you go. This parcel’s addressed to you.”

Keith took the parcel, eagerly tearing away at the wrapping. He frowned, surveying the object that was inside. “It’s a… candle…?”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Oh, right! Hold on-- I think there’s something about that in Mom’s letter.” He dug around in the box before finding it and reading it aloud to Keith. 

“So… it’s a bubbling candle. What’s it supposed to do?”

“Why not light it and find out?” Shiro suggested. “I’ll go get a lighter.”

Keith waited as his brother went to fetch a light. He had no idea how this bubbling candle thing was supposed to work, anyway. _It’s probably magic or whatever._ He gazed around the small room at the assortment of stuff Shiro had laid out. Curiously, he picked up a small silver chain and tugged at both ends. He let out a gasp as it lengthened.

“Here we go!” Shiro held out a lighter, clicking it so that a flame appeared on the tip. “Remember, the letter here says to think only of your dad, and nothing else.”

He brought the flame closer to the candle’s wick. 

Keith closed his eyes. _Father, father, father, I need to find my father, father-- wait, what about the star?_

In that split second, Keith could feel his body being tugged by some invisible force. He held on to the candle for dear life as it tossed him into the air and sped him over the village, over the wall, and towards a forest on the other side. 

“WOAAAAHHHHH!” he yelped as he accelerated towards the ground.

BAM!!! 

He felt himself collide with something, hard. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going, man!” an annoyed voice shouted at him. 

Keith shook his head, as if to try and clear it out. “Father?” he wondered aloud. Then he caught sight of the person sprawled out on the ground beside him. It was a boy about his age, wearing a silver tunic and a giant diamond necklace. Definitely not his father. 

“Dude, what’s your deal? Do I look like your father to you?” the boy shouted, waving his arms at him. 

Keith was too confused to even offer up a snappy comeback. “No…” he said, looking around at his surroundings. He was inside some sort of giant crater. “What happened? Where am I? How did I get here-- oh.” It struck him in an instant. “The star…”

That seemed to catch the other boy’s attention. “What did you say?”

“Never you mind,” Keith told him, looking past him as if he wasn’t even there. Where could the star possibly have fallen? It had to be nearby… Nothing else could’ve made a crater this size…

“Are you looking for a star?”

The boy’s question caught Keith off guard. “Well… yeah. Have you seen one anywhere? It should be… around here… someplace…”

“Pfft… Ha ha… I sure have. I know the star you’re looking for. Brightest and best-looking in the galaxy.” He made finger guns at Keith. 

Keith stared at him, irritated. He didn’t have time to play games. “Well, where is it then?”

“Oh, you’re looking at him, baby. But lemme first ask you one thing. Are you also a star, because that’s one heavenly body~”

Keith’s face flushed bright red. Was this idiot actually _flirting_ with him?

“I don’t have any more time to waste,” he snapped, turning away. Loathe as he was to admit it, there didn’t seem to be anything else in the crater that could’ve possibly been the fallen star. He sighed, exasperated. “Are you… Are you really the star?”

The boy stopped grinning. “Dude, yeah, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for the last, like, five minutes.”

“I thought you were joking.”

“Joking? Me?” The star dramatically placed a hand over his chest, pretending to be shocked. “Never!”

“Really? Could’ve fooled me,” Keith muttered. 

“So, who are you, anyways? You got a name? Or should I just call you Mr. Grumpypants?”

“... It’s Keith. And you?”

“The name’s Lance.” He grinned, and Keith could’ve sworn he saw a sparkle cartoonishly come out of the boy’s mouth. 

Keith stared at Lance, sizing him up, wondering how best now to proceed with his plan. A giant lump of rock was one thing to carry over the wall, but a sentient being was a completely different story. He didn’t have the time-- or patience-- required to coerce Lance to follow him back. He needed something quick, and something relatively painless. 

It was then he felt the weight of the small silver chain still in his hands. “Lance, I’m sorry about this,” he muttered, quickly looping it over the boy’s wrists.

Lance let out a surprised yelp. “Hey!” he protested. “Are you insane? What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m taking you back across the wall… because… I need to prove myself… to the Galaxy Garrison…” Keith grunted, tugging the chain. 

“You can’t just kidnap me! I’m not going with you!” Lance struggled, jerking the chain back at himself. “I just wanna go home! Come on, Keith. Let me go!”

“I can’t. Like I said, I gotta take you back!” Keith leaned all his strength into tugging it back in his own direction, pulling the star to his feet. 

Lance sat back down on the ground, stubbornly refusing to budge. “No way, no how. I’m not going anywhere with you, Crazy Mullet Man.”

“Listen… Lance…” Keith said through gritted teeth. The last of his patience had completely run out. “If you come with me now to the Garrison, then I’ll let you return home when they’re done, okay?”

“Oh and how do you suppose you’re gonna do that, oh great genius one?” Lance asked sarcastically. 

“I… uh… have this thing. It’s a bubbling candle. You have to light it and--”

Lance snorted, and Keith stopped, glaring at him. “What’s so funny?”

“You said _bubbling_ candle. It’s called a _Babylon_ candle. Duh.”

“That’s what I said!”

“Nope, you definitely said _bubbling_. Pfft… Ha ha... What an amateur...”

Keith’s cheeks heated up. He certainly did not appreciate being laughed at by his captive, of all people. “Whatever. I don’t have time for this. Just… You can use this _Babylon_ candle to return home after, okay? Because unless you got a better way of shooting yourself back up into the sky--”

“Fine, fine,” Lance interrupted. He hated to admit it, but Keith was right. Going with the nutso mulleted jerk was pretty much the only option he had, especially if he had a Babylon candle in his possession. Slowly, he stood up. “Lead the way, then, Mullet.”

Keith scowled. This was going to be a loooooooooong trip...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaaand cue the klance! Finally!
> 
> I'll see how the writing goes, but since the next chapter may or may not be shorter, I may or may not release it sometime tonight. Who knows? It'll definitely be up tomorrow if not. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated (and a huge thank you to those of you who have commented, I see that and I appreciate you guys so so much! Please, if you like the story or have something to say, feel free to leave a comment, it helps me know how the story is being received which will probably affect future updates). But, all that aside, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)


	6. Chapter Five: Bad Blood

“Prince Prorok, please, you must consider this opportunity! As it is, you are the eldest and the most righteous! It must be you who succeeds the throne!” the royal advisor whisper-shouted, waving his hands frenetically at the prince.

“I know, I know. But first, there is the matter of my brothers to attend to,” Prorok whispered back. “I fear Sendak will make a move soon. I cannot leave the country knowing he would seize all he can for himself.”

“Your brother frightens me, milord. There’s no telling what he could do if he were to become king--”

“Well, well, well… Telling secrets, are we?” Sendak’s voice sounded from behind them. He swaggered up to where they stood, Nexus trailing after him, and clapped a hand on Prorok’s back. 

The advisor let out a surprised squeal. “P-Prince Sendak! I, uh, did not see you there, milord!”

Sendak smirked. “Calm yourself. I just want in on all the juicy gossip! You’re not saying anything to my brother that is unfit for my ears, are you, worm?”

“Leave him be, Sendak,” Prorok growled. “My matters are none of your business.”

The sadistic prince turned his attention to his brother. “Ah, Prorok! What a pleasure it is to see you too! I was beginning to think you’d fled the country. But it seems that the Valiant Prince Prorok would never leave his beloved subjects to the mercy of his cruel, _cruel_ brothers. Isn’t that right, Nexus?”

Nexus tried his best to mirror Sendak’s smirk. “Absolutely, Brother.”

“Now, before we go about killing each other, why not perform a toast?” Sendak grinned. “The last three surviving heirs of the Great King Zarkon. Quite a feat, is it not? Come, servant!” He snapped his fingers, and a servant came out, carrying four goblets and a bottle of red wine. 

Sendak popped the cork on the bottle as the servant placed the goblets down on a small table. The youngest prince leaned over and poured an equal amount of the ruby elixir in each cup. “For you, my brothers.”

Prorok eyed Sendak suspiciously. “Not like you to be so generous, Brother. Why, if I didn’t know better, I’d say the wine was poisoned.”

“Oh Prorok. You worry too much!” The prince waved his hand dismissively. “If I wanted to kill you, I would’ve done so already! Come. Take a cup. Drink to the remaining health you have left!”

As if to prove his point, Sendak lifted up a glass and took a large swig of the liquor. “Ahhh. How refreshing. See? Nothing in the wine to worry about.” He turned to the royal advisor. “You there! I’m in a generous mood today. Why not also share in some wine?”

“Y-Yes, sir,” the advisor stammered, taking the glass Sendak shoved at him with shaking fingers. Reluctantly, he took a sip. His shoulders relaxed. “It… This is quite good, milord. Thank you for your kindness.”

“See, Prorok? Even this pathetic, uncultured little worm likes it! Nexus, you come have some too. Don’t want all the wine to go to waste, now, do we?”

“No, Brother. We do not.” Nexus stepped forward and took a goblet. He sipped at the wine, savouring the ripe flavour. “Delicious, as to be expected of you, Sendak.”

“Oh, you flatter me, Nexus. Now, Prorok. Don’t be such a spoil sport.” He thrust the remaining goblet at the eldest prince. 

Prorok reluctantly took it, staring down into the liquid to try and spot any trace of foul play. But the wine remained pure and clean. _Perhaps, this time, Sendak is telling the truth…_

“Bottoms up, boys.” Sendak grinned, hoisting his cup into the air. The other three men joined him, touching the goblets together before bringing them back down and taking large sips. 

All four of them stared at each other, watching the others for their next moves. Sendak’s expression seemed to be taunting, daring one of them to do something. 

“Well, milords, this has been a pl--” the royal advisor hesitated. He let out a strangled cough, his chest heaving for air. The goblet fell out of his shaking hands, and he gripped at his throat. 

“H… Help…” he gasped out, sinking to his knees. His body convulsed, spit gargling from his lungs. He bolted upright and took one more gasp of air, his eyes bugging out of his face, before he fell back down again and lay completely still. 

“You bastard!” Prorok growled, his hand reaching for his sword. 

“What?” Sendak played innocent. “He chose the wrong cup, that’s all.”

Nexus and Prorok instantly looked back at each other, their hands reaching for their throats in preparation. Motionless, they waited, ready to choke out their final breaths at any moment. 

Finally, Nexus cleared his throat. “Well, I guess that’s-- gack!” He suddenly keeled over. Blood rushed to his face as he lay on the ground, writhing around in agony, his spit flying everywhere. Then he, too, lay still. 

Prorok narrowed his eyes at Sendak. “Are you finished?”

Sendak grinned. “Not ye-- gaahhh!” His hand reached up to his throat as he started choking. “Gaaack! Prorok! Help me!” 

“You brought this on yourself, you fool,” Prorok hissed, ignoring the pleading look in Sendak’s eyes. “Now do the world a favour and _die_!” 

Sendak slumped over, face-first, onto the tile floor. Prorok blinked, staring at the three bodies before him in shock. A feeling of glee began to bubble up inside him as he began to process his situation. “I… I’m king! I’m king of Galra!”

Prorok could not contain his excitement. He jumped up and down, screeching, “I’m king! I’m king! Now all I have to do is find that pesky diamond… but with my brothers out of the way, that should be a snap! I can’t believe I’m actually king!”

He was about to rush out of the room and declare the news to the kingdom when he heard someone snickering. Over on the floor, Sendak lifted his head. He propped himself back up, laughing loudly. 

“Oh, I can’t believe you fell for that! You should’ve seen the look on your face, Brother! I can’t believe you thought you’d actually beat me! Ha ha ha!”

“WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?!” Prorok shouted, anger flaring up inside him. “You… You drank out of the poisoned goblet!”

Sendak rolled his eyes at him. “Don’t be so dramatic. You see, I only poisoned two goblets! The one poor little Nexus got was meant for you. But oh well. A dead brother is a dead brother, I suppose. Not that I’ll have any trouble killing you, either.”

“Ha!” Prorok laughed sharply. “I’d like to see you try! And remember, Brother. You still have to find the necklace before you can take Father’s throne.”

“Yes, you do make a good point.” Sendak paused. “I suppose getting rid of you will be much easier than finding the necklace. But don’t worry, Prorok. I’ll find that necklace soon enough.”

“Not if I find it first!” Prorok shouted. “Men, to me! We depart at dawn!” He swept out of the room, his servants trailing behind him. 

Sendak smirked as he watched him leave. “You better watch your back, Brother. Because when I find that necklace, I’m going to slip a knife between your ribs and claim my rightful place as King of Galra!”

***

The two druids huddled over the altar in the center of the room, chanting monotonously. A dark aura spread throughout the castle as they poured bits of their quintessence into creating a seal that would hold the life force of the star, binding it forever. 

From her perch on a ledge above them, Haggar watched with glee. It had been far too long since she had such a chance to grow her own power, restoring what had diminished over the centuries. Last time, the bonding seal had been too weak. The previous star’s quintessence had faded before the witch had a chance to take it all for herself. 

This time, Haggar wanted to be certain she would not fail. 

“No mistakes, no mistakes, not this time,” she muttered to herself as she swept back down the stairs and onto the castle’s main level. “Druids! Where are the knives?”

“Here, Master Haggar,” one spoke up, carrying a dust-covered wooden box towards the witch.

She took it and flipped the lid open. Inside were three long, jagged, sharp shards of black glass. Haggar picked up the largest one, twirling it in her hands, admiring it. “Ahh… Perfect… Now, tell me. Where is the remainder of the last star?”

The other druid approached her with a much less dusty box, this one made of metal and covered in rhinestones. They bowed as they presented it to their master. 

Haggar took it, peeling back the lid slowly. There was a tiny orb of light inside, weakly flickering. The witch scooped up the little orb and opened her mouth, dropping it inside and loudly swallowing. “Ahhhh… So much more power…” she cackled, clenching and unclenching her fingers. Bits of quintessence sizzled at her fingertips. 

“This should last me until I find our star!” Haggar proclaimed. “Druids! The time is nigh! Prepare the chariot!”

The druids nodded and bowed, rushing off to their task. Haggar rubbed her fingers together, revelling in the quintessence. This was but an appetizer, she knew. Soon, she would have the star, and a full-course meal of raw energy awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I may have made Sendak more of an asshole in this then he is in the actual show-- or maybe not, idk. Anyways, I was too tired to publish this last night so here's a nice morning chapter for you all :) Or at least it's morning where I am...
> 
> Ahem. I'm totally rambling. 
> 
> I have part of the next chapter written, but I have no idea when it'll be released. 27% chance tonight, 73% chance tomorrow.
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated and thanks so much for reading!
> 
> One last thing: I don't think I've mentioned this before but you can find me on tumblr here: http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com  
> hmu if you have anything to say about the story or otherwise! Feedback is great!
> 
> Oh and also I'll sell my soul to anyone who draws fanart of Lance in a tunic, just putting that out there...


	7. Chapter Six: How to Train Your Star, or Lance and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very-Bad Day

“So let me get this straight: You’re taking me to a space center where they’re gonna stick probes and needles and stuff in me-- which is like totally inhumane, by the way-- cuz lemme tell ya, I can’t stand needles.” Lance shuddered. “Like I’m pretty sure if you do that I’m gonna pass out or barf or die or something, and you don’t want a dead star on your hands, do you, Mullet? Riiiiiiiiight?”

“You know what, Lance? I don’t really care if you’re dead or alive, as long as you stop talking,” Keith said through gritted teeth. “And for the hundredth time, my name’s Keith. Not Mullet.”

“Whatever you say, Mullet. Y’know, if you don’t like me so much, maybe you shouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place!”

“I didn’t _kidnap_ you.”

“What do you call this, then?” Lance wiggled the rope. “Cuz I’d call it kidnapping. Or starnapping. I can’t decide which is a worse offense: This, or your haircut.”

“Would you lay off about my hair already?! Seriously, what does it have to do with anything?!” 

“Well, it makes you look like a really ugly llama, for one.”

Keith wanted so badly to wipe that irritating smirk off Lance’s face. “Why couldn’t you have been a lump of rock? At least then you wouldn’t be so annoying.”

“Oh, so now _I’m_ the annoying one? You’re the one who tied me up and dragged me all the way out here! Like seriously! I didn’t ask for some mulleted weirdo to come along and abduct me! That’s, like, far more annoying than anything _you_ have to do!”

“Do you ever listen to yourself talk? Because you sound like an idiot.”

“Do _you_ ever listen to _yourself_ talk? Because _you_ sound like… sound like…” Lance faltered, grasping for an insult.

“Like what?” Keith challenged. 

“Like a _bigger_ idiot! The biggest, stupidest, jerkiest idiot!”

“Wow, I’m so insulted,” Keith said sarcastically. “Are all stars this bad at comebacks, or is it just you?”

“You know what, Keith? You can just go jump off that rock right there. Which I’m pretty sure is the same rock we’ve passed, like, five times already!” Lance pointed out. 

“What?” Keith looked over. He let out a groan. “Are you _fucking kidding me_?!”

Lance smirked. “Nice job, Captain Mullet. We’re totally lost, aren’t we?”

“We aren’t _lost_. I just have to find my bearings, which would be much easier if you actually shut up for once and let me concentrate!”

The star sat down on a stump, watching Keith’s eyebrows draw together as he thought about their next move. He paced around, drawing lines in the air with his index finger. 

“What are you, trying to triangulate our location?” Lance asked, snickering. “Maybe you should bring a compass next time.”

“Would you just _shut up_? I’m trying to get us un-lost, which is more than you’re doing!” Keith snapped. He turned his attention back to the sky. “Ugh, this would be so much easier if I could just find the stupid Evening Star.”

At that, Lance let out a loud snort. He fell over off the stump, clutching his stomach as he laughed. “You’re… You’re just… Too funny… Mullet…”

“What’s so funny?!” Keith demanded, crossing his arms. 

“You’re looking for… The Evening Star… In the sky! Ha ha ha!”

“What?! My brother told me to find it if I ever get lost!”

Lance sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Well, maybe you should just ask it where you are, since it’s sitting right here! Ha ha… So dumb...”

“You?!” Keith was dumbfounded. “You’re the Evening Star?”

“Well, duh. I told you I was the brightest.”

“How was I supposed to know that?! You don’t come with labels or anything!” Frustrated, the boy sat down on the ground. “Great. Just great. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“Y’know, I could always try asking for directions,” Lance spoke up.

Keith let out a sharp laugh. “From who?”

Lance grinned and pointed upwards at the sky. “Them.”

“Are you sure that’s gonna work?”

“You got a better idea, Mullet?”

“... I suppose not. Go ahead then. Ask.”

Lance closed his eyes and tilted his chin up towards the stars above him. His head cocked to one side, as if he were listening to someone speak. Keith couldn’t pretend the idea of it didn’t fascinate him just a little bit. He felt a sense of awe rising in his throat. For a moment, as Lance sat there, a small smile on his lips, he looked almost… picturesque. Like a model from one of Keith’s magazines-- the kind he always kept hidden from Shiro, of course. 

Keith shook his head. He couldn’t think that way about Lance. Lance was annoying, and irritating, and frustrating; even if he did have a nice jawline and a cute smile… _Wait, what?_

“Are you almost done?” Keith asked, trying his best to sound absolutely cross and not at all like he was admiring anyone’s appearance. 

“Shhh! Almost!” Lance hissed at him. Then he opened his eyes. “Good news! We’re not far off from the main road, we just have to take a left down that scraggly road up ahead rather than turn right again.”

“The stars told you all that?” Keith couldn’t hide the awe in his voice. 

Lance nodded, grinning. “Yep! What can I say? My siblings love me.”

“Your… siblings? All those stars up there are your siblings?”

“Yeah, sort of.” He sighed. “It’s only been, like, a few hours and I already miss them.”

Keith stood up and offered Lance a hand. “Let’s go, then. We don’t want to keep anyone waiting.”

***

Dawn crept up quickly on the duo, which soon faded into a hazy afternoon. Lance had been surprisingly quiet, much to Keith’s relief. Apart from complaining about his aching feet once every ten minutes, that is. Those comments Keith did his best to ignore. 

Finally, Lance collapsed onto the ground with a groan. 

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, annoyed, as he felt the rope strain. 

“I’m taking a nap,” Lance told him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

“You can’t rest now. We still have a long ways to go.”

Lance frowned. “So what? You’re not gonna sleep until you make it to the wall? Is that the idea? Cuz that’s a really stupid idea. Besides,” he yawned. “I never stay up this late. I’m so tired.”

“How are you tired?! It’s the middle of the day!” Keith said, exasperated.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, _genius_ , but stars don’t tend to come out during the day.”

“What, so now stars can sleep?”

“Of course we can. Duh. What do you think we’re doing when we’re not out at night?”

Keith opened his mouth to contradict every word in Lance’s sentence with a scientific fact, but then he stopped. In his world, stars were luminous balls of helium and hydrogen. Not walking, talking, loudmouthed, obnoxious pests who, for some reason or another, took the shape of slightly attractive humans. He sighed. “Fine. Have your nap.”

“Seriously? Aw, yes!” Lance half-heartedly fist-pumped the air and then curled up into a ball and promptly fell asleep. 

A yawn crept out of Keith’s mouth as he gazed down at the sleeping star. Now that he thought about it, a little sleep wouldn’t do him any harm, either. He lay down on the ground, taking off his jacket to use as a pillow. 

Within minutes, they were both fast asleep. 

***

“Psst. Keith. Hey, Keith. Keith! Hey! Buddy! Wake up! _Keeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiith!_!!”

Keith groaned and rolled over. His eyes slowly flickered open to reveal Lance, bending over him and jabbing him in the side with his finger. “Whadyouwant?” he muttered groggily. 

“I’m hungry,” Lance stated. 

“Go eat some grass and leave me alone,” Keith muttered, blocking out the remainder of the dusk light with his arm. 

“Dude, that’s disgusting! Come on! There’s probably like a tavern around here someplace.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“You have stuff. Don’t be such a cheapskate!”

Keith opened his eyes and sat up to face Lance. “Why don’t you go get some food if you’re so hungry?”

Lance held up his wrists. “Because I’m your prisoner. Remember that, Mullet? You’re supposed to provide food for your captive. Unless you want me to starve before we get to the wall.”

Keith sighed. “Fine. Whatever. Just stay here.” He stood up. “Wait, what do stars even eat, anyways?”

“I dunno about you, but I sure could go for a tuna melt right now,” Lance said dreamily. “Mmm… Make sure there’s lettuce on it, but no onions. I hate onions. And also get me a drink. I want a sparkling lemon spring water. Two ice cubes.”

“You’re getting what I can afford,” Keith told him, annoyed. He took the chain and extended it, wrapping it around a tree.

“Hey, what’re you doing?” Lance protested.

“I’m making sure you stay put. I’ll be back soon.” Keith stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off. 

“You’re just gonna chain me to a tree? What the hell, man! Hey! Get back here! Don’t walk away from me, Keith! Don’t you dare walk through those bushes!” Lance shouted after him. “Oh, and make sure there’s no onions!”

The star huffed. “Keith thinks he’s _soooooooo_ cool, but he’s just a big mean jerk.” Next to him, the bushes rustled, and he let out a yelp. “Jerk or not, he better get back here before I get eaten. Ugh. I can’t believe I’m entrusting my wellbeing to this guy! He’s gonna get me killed!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter so soon?! But phantomsong, you just posted something like five hours ago!!!
> 
> Yep, I sure did. Thing is, I only have like five days before school starts up again, so I wanna get as much of this done as I can before then, in case I get super super busy and the updates get super scarce. Which I hope won't happen, but you never know. So from now until Tuesday, I will try to post two chapters per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening. Following PST, that is. And also I'm really excited to get to the actual klance, which is pretty much what you guys are here for, riiiiiiiight? 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated. If you're too shy/don't have an ao3 account and would like to say something about the story, please hmu, either on or off anon, at [my tumblr over here](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/).
> 
> And also, the offer on my soul still stands to anyone who is willing to draw Lance in a tunic. If comments give me life, then fanart makes me immortal. And I promise to provide credit/links to the original artist. I don't believe in art theft. So if any of you need a promo *wink wink*


	8. Chapter Seven: In Pursuit

Miles away from where Keith and Lance began their journey lay the small county of Arus. It was a rural town, comprised mostly of pastures and meadows and a cluster of humble clay houses in the middle that stood no more than a floor high and from a distance could be easily mistaken for toadstools. In the outskirts of the county, a yellow caravan was parked to the side of the road. Its lone inhabitant sat on the steps, swinging her legs back and forth.

Nyma sighed. Business had been unusually slow today. Normally she was able to drum up enough deals in one day to keep her and her partner, Rolo, on good food for a week. She prided herself in being an astute entrepreneur. Anything she could obtain, she could sell at double price with a slight twisting of the truth. No magic was even required for her to get what she wanted. 

The caravan was something she had inherited from her mother. At first, Nyma didn’t believe she’d find a use for something she found to be such an eyesore. It was Rolo who had talked her into keeping it, however. And good thing, too. It was great for being on the road, bartering with other salespeople, making trades, obtaining goods to resell along the way, even connecting with hard-to-reach customers. Plus, it came with a slave, and that certainly wasn’t the worst thing to inherit, especially when one needed some heavy lifting done.

So while Rolo ran their shop at a dirty port known for its underground market, Nyma was constantly on the road. Once she returned, they would split the month’s profit 50-50, as they had been doing ever since they had first gone into business with each other. It was a most favourable partnership, and the only thing Nyma would not give up for anything in the world. 

She waved to some local Arusians as they passed by. The Arusians were a funny bunch; they were stout creatures who greatly resembled snails, as they were often beige in colour and had what appeared to be shells atop their heads. Nyma rather liked them. Despite their odd appearance, they were friendly and would often generously give her some food whenever she came by. 

It was getting to be quite late in the afternoon, and Nyma was behind schedule. She had begun to pack up her goods when she saw an old woman, shuffling down the road. Nyma grinned. This would be a quick and easy sale. 

“Hello!” the girl called out, waving the woman over. “Excuse me, ma’am, would you be interested in stopping by for a moment? It’ll only take a tick, I promise.”

Wordlessly, the elderly woman hobbled over to where Nyma sat, stopping in front of the row of goods laid out on the table that had not yet been packed up. 

“Welcome,” Nyma said brightly. “I carry only the best in all of Galra. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

The woman, however, was not looking at the array of stuff. Her gaze was fixed solely on the girl behind the counter. She said nothing, only continued to stare intently at the shopkeeper. 

Nyma felt a shiver creep up her spine. There was something… unsettling about this woman. Something she couldn’t quite place her finger on. “Er… Would you like some tea, ma’am?” she offered, trying to distance herself from the eerie woman. 

“...Yes,” the woman spoke at last. 

“Alright, er, right away!” Nyma bounded to her feet and ducked into the caravan. She let out a sigh of relief once she was inside and away from the creepy stare. She waved her hand, using a bit of magic to coast the bag of tea leaves down from the top shelf. The kettle was already on the stove, and she flicked it on. 

Underneath the counter, something brushed past her legs. Nyma yelped, springing up onto a chair. “What in the… oh. It’s just you.” She couldn’t hold back the relief in her voice as she caught sight of the thin black cat who sat on the floor, staring up at her with sad yellow eyes. 

She snapped her fingers, and the cat started to grow, changing form into a human man. Withered and weary, his black hair was matted and his eyes were sunken. Despite the fact he had only about forty years of age, he looked much, much older. “What is it you require, mistress?” he asked, his voice shaken and dull. 

“Once this tea is finished, deliver it outside to me and that woman there,” she instructed. “I have to go keep an eye on her. She doesn’t look trustworthy.”

The slave nodded. “Yes, mistress.”

Nyma smiled. “Good. Now, one last thing…” She took out a jar of herbs from her special stash underneath the sink and sprinkled it into one of the teacups. “Make sure that she gets this one right here.”

“I will.” His voice sounded tired and defeated, but he obeyed nonetheless, picking up the boiling kettle and pouring it evenly between the cups. 

Nyma took this as her cue to leave. She wandered back outside. The old woman hadn’t moved from where she stood, her eyes following Nyma as she made her way down the stairs. 

“Well,” Nyma said, trying her best to sound friendly. “Did you see anything that catches your fancy? Maybe these stones over here, hmm? Or what about this wooden sculpture? It’s an original--”

“Oh, be quiet, girl,” the woman snapped. “I’m not interested in your cheap goods. I shall have my tea and then I will be on my way. Is that understood?”

Nyma was taken aback. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, dumbfounded at the sudden outburst. 

The door to the caravan opened just then, and the slave came out, carrying the two cups of tea. He handed one to Nyma and one to their guest before bringing over two chairs for them to sit down upon. He bowed stiffly, and Nyma snapped her fingers, turning him back into a cat. 

Nyma smiled as the woman took a sip of the tea. “Now, what brings you all the way out here?” she asked.

The woman’s lips parted to reveal a creepy, lopsided grin. “I seek a fallen star.”

_A fallen star?!_ Nyma couldn’t believe her ears. This woman was either insane, or she was brilliant! Fallen stars were worth more money than she could ever dream of! “Oh, so you know where one is?” she asked casually. 

“...Yes. I have been tracking one that fell a few nights ago. It should be close now…” she trailed off. Suddenly, the woman threw her teacup down on the ground. “Limbus grass?! You dare feed me _Limbus grass_?! Trying to pry my secrets from me, eh?”

Nyma felt as if her blood had run cold. “Er, I-I don’t know what you’re--”

“You know perfectly well, girl,” the woman snarled. The air around the two of them suddenly grew very cold and dark, as if all the colour and warmth had been drained out of the area. 

A harsh wind whipped around Nyma’s shoulders, and the girl sunk down as the woman towered over her. “You dare cross me, foolish child?! Nobody will get their hands on my star! Nobody!”

“P-Please… Have mercy…” Nyma begged, cowering down. 

Green energy began to crackle at the witch’s fingertips. “From now on, you will no longer see the star, hear it, touch it, smell, nor taste it. As far as you are concerned, the star doesn’t even exist!” She pressed her hand to Nyma’s forehead, and the girl slumped over, unconscious. 

Haggar cackled as she hobbled away. No one was getting in the way of her obtaining her star. 

No one. 

***

Sendak gazed out over the frozen sea that stretched infinitely before him. He had been travelling for a full day already, making his way to the very eastern edge of the country, but had seen no trace of the necklace. The ordeal was immensely frustrating. 

“Milord,” one of his soldiers spoke up from behind him. “We have located the soothsayer.”

Sendak smiled coldly. “Good. Bring him to me.”

An old man in a long, tattered robe stepped forward. He bowed at Sendak. “Milord.”

“Soothsayer,” Sendak addressed him. “Are you certain your runes are accurate?”

“I am most certain, milord.”

“Very good. Now, for my first question. Am I Prince Sendak the Mighty, son of the late great King Zarkon?”

The soothsayer tossed the runes into the air and caught them again in his palm. He showed them to the prince. 

“What do they say?” Sendak asked him.

“The runes say yes, milord.”

“Good, good.” He smirked. “Now onto my second question. Have I ever been merciful towards traitors, cowards, or otherwise contemptible fools?”

The soothsayer tossed the runes up again. “They say no, milord.”

“Very good. Now I would like to know: Have I been heading in the wrong direction, following the advice of one such fool?”

The soothsayer hesitated. “Er…”

“Go on, then,” Sendak instructed impatiently. “Throw them!”

Reluctantly, the soothsayer tossed them into the air.

“And what do they say?”

He swallowed. “...They say yes, m-milord.”

Sendak smirked at him. “Okay. I have one last question before you’re free to go. And make sure to toss them in the air very high this time.”

The soothsayer gulped, but obliged the prince. He flung the runes upwards as high as he could throw. 

“Do you work for my brother?”

The runes sailed back down, straight into the soothsayer’s palm. Before he had a chance to hide them, Sendak had already drawn his blade. He shoved it right into the soothsayer’s gut. 

The sadistic prince sneered at the man as he dropped onto the ground, dead. “That would be a yes, then. Men, to me! We head west!”

***

On the edge of Arus county was a small farmstead, run by a large Arusian family. That evening, the middlemost child, a young Arusian named Ernest, was out tending to the goat pasture. He had just finished feeding them when he caught sight of an old woman, hobbling down the path. 

“Excuse me, ma’am, do you need assistance?” the Arusian asked. He wasn’t one to turn away anyone in distress. 

The elderly woman glanced up at him, an eerie grin lighting up her face. “Why, yes, I do. And you’ll do perfectly!” With a flash of green light, she transformed him into a goat. 

Haggar unhitched the gate to the goat pasture and took another one out, leading both it and the newly-transformed Ernest down the road to where she had hidden her chariot in the bushes. “You have my thanks, boy. Now I don’t even have to waste magic on powering this thing!”

With a crack of the whip, the two goats took off, dragging the witch further away from the farm. Haggar scoured the countryside as she rode. She could feel the star’s quintessence faintly, but it was far too dim to pinpoint a location. Whatever had happened to it, the star was most certainly unhappy. 

“Woah, woah!” she shouted, stopping the cart. Haggar stepped off and rubbed the ring on her finger. In the large jewel atop the ring, she could see her two druids, gathered around a magic mirror and staring straight at her. 

“You have summoned us, Master Haggar?” one spoke. 

“Yes. The star’s traces have grown weak. Its quintessence has dimmed. I can no longer locate it.”

The other druid walked over to where a row of cages full of live animals was stacked. They opened one and brought out a snake. Taking a knife, the druid sliced the snake open, dumping its innards on the table. “Good news, Master.”

“Yes? What is it?” Haggar demanded. 

“The star is nearby and headed straight to where you are. It will arrive at your exact location within an hour. Be patient, Master, and set a trap. Make sure its quintessence is revitalized before killing it.”

“That I shall…” the witch hissed. She rubbed at the ring again, fading the druids back out. “And I have just the plan…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, well, that chapter certainly went on longer than I had planned. But hey, at least Nyma's in it, right? 
> 
> ALSO LOOK AT [THIS AMAZING FANART](http://thidwick.tumblr.com/post/149781011014/everyone-should-go-read-starbound-by) BY [THIDWICK](http://thidwick.tumblr.com/) I LOVE IT SO MUCH THANK YOU AHHHH <3   
> FANART IS AWESOME & GIVES ME LIFE but as always, comments, kudos, and views are also appreciated :D
> 
> Love the fic? Hate it? Just really, really bored? Come talk to me at [my tumblr over here](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/).


	9. Chapter Eight: The Blue Lion

It was getting seriously dark and Lance was getting seriously worried. Not about Keith, of course. That jerk could jump off a cliff and get eaten by a horde of sharks for all he cared. It was just that Lance hoped the whole horde-of-sharks thing would happen after he was freed from this stupid chain. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed Keith. Both for his freedom and for his growling stomach. 

When he had been up in the sky, Lance had loved the nighttime. But now he was on the ground, he finally realized how _spooky_ the dark could be. There came a rustle from the branches above, and Lance yelped, ducking down as best one can while one is chained to a tree. Something large and furry swooped past his head, flapping its wings away into the night.

“I-It’s just a b-b-bat…” Lance tried to calm himself. “Just a big, huge, ginormous vampire bat, which is totally fine and totally not trying to suck my blood or anything, which is cool but—EEEEEEEEK!”

The star squealed as his hand accidentally smacked down onto something sticky. “EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!” He wiped his hand on his tunic, smearing sap all over the front.

Lance sniffled. Great. Now not only was he chained to a tree and completely dependent on a weirdo with a really hideous hairdo, but he had ruined his only set of clothing, too. This was shaping up to be the most totally lame month of his life.

“I just wanna go home!” he wailed, fighting back the tears that threatened to come pooling down his face. “Please don’t leave me here! I’m gonna die out here all by myself and no one’s ever gonna know and I’ll never see my family again!”

He blinked, bringing his arm up to wipe off his face. There was no way he’d let Keith see him like this. He had to stay strong, even if it was only to get back at that jerk. But speaking of Keith, where was he?

_What if he forgot about me?_

The thought only made Lance want to sob harder. Never in his life had he been so completely alone. Back in the sky, he always had his siblings, shining around him, laughing and gossiping and watching the events of the two worlds unfold before them. The only thing Lance was watching now was the bushes in front of him, either for Keith or a dangerous predator, whichever came first.

And honestly, Lance couldn’t decide which one he’d rather run into.

He shut his eyes, leaning back against the tree. The sap stuck to his clothes, his hair, and his skin, but that was only a fraction of how gross he felt. His feet were caked in dirt, his underarms had massive sweat stains, and his face seriously needed a good moisturizing.

It was safe to say that Lance had had more than enough of the so-called ‘great’ outdoors. 

“Stupid Keith could at least hurry up with the food,” he grumbled, staring down at his gurgling, very unhappy stomach.

The bushes in front of him rustled, and the star immediately ceased complaining. 

“Keith? You there? Hellooooo? KEITH?!” Lance hesitantly called out. “KEEEEIIIIIITTHHH?! HELLLOOOOOOOOO?! IS THAT YOU?!”

Out of the bushes, however, emerged the strangest creature Lance had ever seen. It was a sleek, muscular cat, the shape and size of a fully grown lioness, but its fur had a deep blue hue to it, rippling like waves as she moved gracefully towards him. 

“Uh, hello…?” Lance said nervously. “My name’s Lance, and I’m a star. But I’m like really, really lost, so please don’t eat me. There’s a jerk with a mullet out there named Keith-- he’s the one who abducted me-- and you should definitely eat him instead, okay?”

The large cat paused, her tail swinging as she cocked her head at him, as if amused by his words. Then she padded forward, pressing her nose up against Lance’s hand. 

“Good kitty,” Lance murmured, petting her gently. “See? I’m not gonna hurt you.”

The blue lioness reared up on her hind legs, letting out a loud roar. Lance flinched as her paw raised up into the air. She slashed downwards, her claw hooking around the silver chain.

“Wait, you can’t-- woah...” Lance breathed as the chain cut evenly in two under the lion’s powerful swipe. He leaned his head back and let out an elated whoop. “I’m free! I’m free! This is the best day of my life! _Hasta la later, Keith!_ ”

The lioness patiently watched him as he celebrated his newfound independence. She crouched down, staring at him intently.

Lance stopped. “You want me to get on? Uh… I’ve never ridden a lion before, but hey, how hard can this be?”

He slid himself onto the lioness’ back, and she stood up, letting out another roar before she charged into the forest, Lance holding on for dear life. 

***

Keith had officially had enough. At first, he couldn’t believe his luck, since he had actually managed to find a tavern, and one that would barter items for food, no less. He ended up ordering a croissant-like thing for himself and a stupid tuna melt, sans onion, for the picky star. 

However, now that it was dark and cold, he seriously regretted trading away his jacket. As if he didn’t already have enough reasons to evoke a stern lecture from Shiro upon his return home. 

“I can’t believe this,” he grumbled, crossing his arms to conserve body heat. “I’ve seen _Lord of the Rings_. Magical forests aren’t supposed to be this damn cold!”

Suddenly, he stopped, frowning at the large tree in front of him. He could’ve sworn he left Lance at a location similar to this. The star should be around here somewhere, but Keith couldn’t even hear his obnoxious voice. 

“Lance?” he called out. “Lance, are you out there?”

The lack of response dug a pit of dread in Keith’s stomach. “Lance? I have your tuna melt! It’s getting cold!”

Still nothing. 

“Hey! I got you your stupid tuna melt, okay? There’s not even any onions on it, which I specifically had to ask for, y’know. The least you could do is let me know where you are!”

Something crunched underneath Keith’s foot. He looked down. Under the heel of his shoe was a long, silver chain, kind of like the one he used on…

_Oh. Oh shit._

“No no no no no no no no no no,” Keith muttered, panic beginning to flood into him. He broke out into a frantic jog, pushing branches and twigs away from his face as he moved through the trees. “Lance? LANCE?! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Keith doubled over, out of breath. Lance was gone. The star was officially, totally, utterly gone. And the worst thing was, he had nothing but his stupid, _stupid_ self to blame. 

***

“And so then, he like, grabbed my wrists and chained me up! Just like that! Like, I didn’t even do anything to the guy and suddenly he just kidnaps me! Totally rude, right?”

The lion had broken into a steady jog. Her ears were perked up as she listened to Lance ramble on about a certain boy he very much most certainly hated. The star was certainly very invigorated when it came to the subject of Keith, something he apparently had much to say about. 

“...He was all like, “I’m gonna take you to the Galaxy Garrison and they’re gonna do some boring science-y stuff to you or whatever” and even though I was like “Nope no way dude” he just drags me along anyways like seriously he’s really obsessed with this stupid Galaxy Garrison thing…”

The lion let out an amused purr as he ranted, flicking her tail back and forth as if she was following along with the gossip.

“...And did I mention he has a mullet?! I mean, who has a mullet these days? No one. That’s who. And you know why? Because they’re ugly and gross like I don’t even want to imagine what gets caught in there! He’s probably got a family of rats living in his hair or something!” Suddenly, Lance stopped as he caught sight of something in the distance. “Hey, look! An inn! Sweet! Sorry, lion, but do you think you can let me off here? I really need something to eat. Like really bad. No offense to you or anything.”

The lioness obliged, crouching down to let her passenger off. Lance gave her one last pat on the head and she darted away, back into the forest of the night. 

***

From a second story window of the inn, an old woman gazed out over the road. Her mouth twisted up into a smile as she saw the boy approaching the front door.

“That’s it… Closer… Right into my trap… Come to me, and I’ll make your little heart shine with all the quintessence in your being, my fallen star…”

After checking to make sure the glass shard was underneath the bed that would serve as her makeshift sacrificial altar, the witch stood up, admiring her handiwork. As far as the world was concerned, she was a mere sweet little old lady who ran an inn with her family, a goat who held the appearance of an elderly husband and poor little Ernest the Arusian, whom she had disguised as a simple human maiden. The inn was created from thin air, and the witch prided herself on its authenticity. It was genius. The star would not suspect a thing.

Still cackling, Haggar made her way downstairs, ready to welcome her special guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There! Finally! Technically it's still September 1st where I am, so that does count for my two-chapter-a-day promise, right?  
> However, tomorrow (or today, for most of you), you're only getting one chapter. Why? Because it's the inn chapter. Which if you've seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And if you haven't... then you'll just have to wait and see, heh heh. 
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, and views are very very much appreciated. The more feedback I get, the more inspired I am to write. But regardless, if you've made it this far, you're the best and I am eternally grateful for your patronage <3
> 
> [I'm just going to get into the habit of leaving my tumblr here](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/%22)


	10. Chapter Nine: Into Danger

Lance pushed open the front door to the inn. “Hello? Anyone there? Hel-loooooo?”

“Oh! Goodness me! You poor dear!” an old woman cried out as she hobbled down the stairs. “Come in, come in! Make yourself at home!”

“Oh, hey! A person!” Lance let out a relieved sigh. “I hope you don’t mind, but can I rest here for a bit? I’m, like, really tired.”

“Of course, dearie! That’s what this place is for! I am the innkeeper, Haggar, and the bartender over there is my husband, Billy.”

Lance glanced over. There was a man hunched over the counter. He seemed to be eating what the star realized to be a dishcloth. _Totally weird. But hey, I’m not gonna complain._

“Cool. The name’s Lance.”

“Well, you’re in good hands now, Lance.” Haggar put a hand on his back, guiding him over to a table in the corner. Slowly, she eased him down onto a chair. “Now, stay there, and I’ll get you a little something to eat, dear. You must be starving!”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Lance said. “Finally, a little bit of hospitality around here! You have no idea what I’ve been through these last few days!”

The old woman gave him a sympathetic smile, rubbing her hand gently on his back. “Oh, I can imagine, wandering out there in the dark and the cold, all alone. But fear not. You’ve come to the right place. Billy! Fetch our new friend here a glass of water!”

She snapped her fingers, and the dishcloth dropped from the man’s mouth. He awkwardly grabbed a glass and shoved it underneath the tap, which he flicked on with his head. Water spilled out over the glass as Billy watched Lance with a vacant expression on his face. 

Haggar snapped her fingers again and Billy shut off the tap, bringing the glass over to Lance and dropping it in front of him. 

“Thanks, man,” Lance said gratefully, picking it up and gulping the liquid down. “Ahhhh…”

Billy let out a bleating sound in response before awkwardly shuffling back over to stand behind the counter. 

“What would you like to eat?” Haggar asked the boy. 

“Um… How about a nice, big bowl of stew?” Lance suggested. “Or maybe some soup?”

“Right away, my dear.” The old woman disappeared into an adjacent room, coming back a moment later with a bowl filled to the brim with a meaty broth. She placed it down in front of Lance and handed him a spoon. 

The star did not hesitate to dig in. He shoved in mouthful after mouthful of the delicious concoction, only pausing to take a breath between gulps. As he ate, Haggar noticed, a soft glow began to emanate from his body. She smiled. Her star was so close now…

“Your clothes are filthy,” she remarked. 

“Thell meh abouth ith,” Lance agreed, stuffing another spoonful into his mouth. 

“Why don’t you come upstairs and take a nice hot bath? I’m sure it would do wonders for your poor skin.”

“That sounds like the best idea I’ve heard all day!” He grinned. 

Haggar matched his grin with a sinister one of her own. “Very good. Now where is that girl? Come here!” She snapped her fingers, and a young maiden wandered out of the side room. 

Lance’s eyes lit up. “Why, hello~ What’s a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this? I think someone should call the royal dressmaker, because their model is missing~”

Ernest the Arusian tried not to groan at the star’s advances. He ignored him, as he was more concerned with not breaking character and thus getting murdered by the witch. 

“Go pour our guest a hot bath,” Haggar instructed, and Ernest nodded, quickly scurrying upstairs. 

Haggar served Lance another helping of the soup while he waited for his bath to be ready. Finally, Ernest leaned over the railing of the second floor, signalling to the witch that all was ready. She nodded and took Lance’s empty bowl from him. “Your bath is ready. Come along now.”

Lance stood up and stretched, his stomach satisfied for the time being. “Lead the way, lady!”

Haggar’s mouth twisted into a sinister smile. “Oh, I will, believe me.” 

Taking him by the arm, she led him up the stairs and into a small bedroom. There was a tub in the corner of the room, filled with steaming hot water. Next to it was a table, which had a bar of soap, a scrub brush, fluffy white towels, and a bathrobe stacked atop it.

“I will take my leave now. Please, let me know when you’re finished, and I’ll give you a nice massage.” She closed the door to the room behind her.

Lance grinned and stripped off his sap-and-dirt-covered tunic. He tossed it on the floor before stepping out of his pants and climbing into the tub. The star felt as if he would melt into the water. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so completely relaxed. 

His face began to glow as he felt the dirt washing off of him with each scrub of the soapy brush. He even gave the jewel on the necklace he had found a good wash, and soon, it, too, was gleaming again. 

Once he was satisfied that he could not get any cleaner, he stepped out of the tub, feeling totally revitalized. He slipped the bathrobe on, tying the knot tightly as to not accidentally expose himself. Next to the bed, he found a pair of slippers, which, of course, he couldn’t help himself but to wear. 

“Excuse me? Hey, old lady? Haggar? I’m done my bath,” he called out. 

The door opened, and Haggar came back in. She smiled at him. “You look perfect. Now, go lie down on the bed, and I’ll give you a nice massage.”

Lance obliged. He stretched out on the bed, his chest sinking into the soft sheets. His head rested down on his arms, folded out in front of him, as he waited for his host to pamper him. 

“My, my,” Haggar murmured as she reached underneath the bed, feeling around for the glass shard. “Aren’t you just positively glowing tonight? This’ll make this job so much easier…”

***

Keith wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened, but somehow, he had fallen asleep. His back rested against the tree Lance had escaped from as he dozed off.

“Keith…” a soft voice whispered his name. 

“Who’s there?” Keith mumbled blearily. 

“We are. Look up.”

His eyes lightly fluttered open, and he craned his neck upwards. It seemed as if someone-- or something-- was staring directly down at him. As if the stars were burning just for him to see…

_Oh. The stars. Of course._

“Keith… Lance is in grave danger,” a different voice spoke urgently. “A blue lion rescued him but now he’s headed into a trap. No star is safe in Galra. The last one that fell, four hundred years ago, was captured by a fearsome witch. The witch tricked him, cared for him, and when his quintessence was finally glowing strong, she cut out his heart… and ate it. And now, that very same witch has found Lance. Please, Keith. Protect our brother.”

Keith blinked, jolting himself fully awake. _Lance... Lance is in danger…_

The first voice spoke again. “There’s no time to waste. A coach is coming! By any means, you must get on it! We’ll show you the way! Go!”

Shook by the pleas, Keith jumped to his feet. In the distance, he could hear the clopping of hooves against dirt. Trusting in his instincts, the boy hurtled through the forest, following the faint beam of light that the stars provided for him. The sound grew louder, and Keith willed his legs to go faster. 

_By any means, you must get on it…_

“Stop!” Keith shouted as his target came into view. “Hey! You there! Stop! STOP THAT COACH!”

The driver didn’t seem to hear him. Keith gritted his teeth. _This is gonna hurt…_

Desperate, he flung himself at the side of the carriage. Keith let out a groan as he crashed into it and fell down on the ground. His ribs burned from the harsh impact, leaving him gasping for breath. 

“Woooahhh!” the coach driver shouted, bringing the carriage to a sudden halt. “Wooahhh there! You okay, lad?”

“I… need a ride…” was all Keith could bring himself to say. 

“What’s going on out there! Why have we stopped?” a new voice demanded, and the coach door opened. Out stepped a tall, muscular man dressed in a long black, fur-trimmed cloak. He glared down at Keith, drawing his sword and sticking the tip of the blade to the boy’s neck. 

“So now my brother has stooped to having children do his dirty work,” he growled, swinging the blade back up, ready to bring it down on Keith’s chest.

“Wait!” Keith demanded. “I don’t know who you think I am, but I certainly don’t know your brother. I just need a ride, okay?”

The man stared at him before suddenly letting out an amused chuckle. “Quite a dramatic way of asking for a lift. Come, boy. What’s your name?”

“Keith Kogane,” Keith answered as the man offered him a hand, lifting him back to his feet. 

“Keith, eh? That’s a strange name. I am Prince Prorok of Galra.”

“Er…” Keith had never spoken to a prince of anything before. “I, uh, it’s nice to meet you, sire.” _Sire? Is that what people say? I knew I should’ve joined Shiro for that fantasy movie night a week ago._

“Likewise, little Keith. Come. You may sit in the carriage.” Prorok gestured, and one of his servants opened the door for him and Keith to climb in. 

“Carry on!” the prince ordered, and the coach jolted to a start. He turned to the boy. “So, Keith. What brings you to these parts?”

Keith sighed. “I was, uh, travelling with a, um, friend, but then we got split up.”

“A lady friend?” The prince smiled. 

“N-No…” Keith sputtered, his face turning red. “A really, really annoying jerk. More of an acquaintance, actually. The idiot just had to go get himself lost, and now I have to find him. What about you? What brings you here, uh, sir?”

“I am on an important quest to fulfill my bloodline,” the prince answered gravely. “There is an object of great importance I must find before I am to be king. But my brother, Prince Sendak, is also searching for it, and I fear he will stop at nothing to mould this great kingdom into his own personal playground if he were to find it first.”

“Brothers, huh?” Keith offered, trying to sound sympathetic. Truthfully, he had never really had any issues with Shiro, who was, in Keith’s opinion, the greatest brother one could ask for. But he figured it was best to empathize with the prince, as to minimize the probability of getting stabbed. 

“Yes. Brothers indeed,” Prorok responded thoughtfully. He tapped the roof of the carriage. “Stop here! There is an inn up ahead. I shall take my rest for the night. You are welcome to join me if you wish, Keith Kogane.”

The coach ground to a halt, and a servant opened up the door, letting the prince and his newfound companion out. “Please, if you will, I’d appreciate if you would assist with getting the horses into the stables,” Prorok told Keith. 

Keith nodded. He had dealt with Iverson enough to know that the tone of voice the prince used meant the task was not optional. “Yes, sir.”

“Very good,” Prorok said approvingly. He marched up to the front of the inn and sharply knocked on the door. 

***

Lance was so completely content that he didn’t even suspect his death was seconds away. The star had a light glow to him as Haggar rubbed his shoulders with one hand and lifted up a knife with another. 

“Ahhh…” he let out a soft moan. 

“Nice, isn’t it?” Haggar crowed. “Yesss… so… nice…” The shard of glass hovered inches away from his back. She concentrated on lining it up with the location of his heart. 

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK._

Haggar stopped. A low growl came out of her throat and she lowered the knife, listening intently. 

“Hello?!” a deep male voice shouted from the downstairs. “Is anyone here? I demand a room for the night!”

The witch cursed underneath her breath as she slid the glass shard back under the bed. “Coming!” she called out in her nicest innocent-innkeeper voice. 

“What’s going on?” Lance murmured, craning his neck to look over at his host. 

Haggar smiled disarmingly. “Nothing, dear. Just another customer. I’ll be right back up to attend to you in a tick, so don’t you go anywhere!”

She shuffled out the door, leaving the star to his lonesome. 

***

Prorok smiled as he saw the elderly innkeeper approach him. “Ah, some service at last! I would like a room for the night. My horses are already in the stables, and my coach is parked just outside, if that is alright with you, ma’am.”

“It’s… fine…” Haggar forced herself to say.

“Good, good,” the prince said, sitting down at the table Lance had been at earlier that evening. 

Haggar clenched her teeth. How dare this imbecile waltz into her inn and act as if he owned the place, especially when she had her star ready to sacrifice in a bedroom upstairs?! She had to get rid of him, and quick. Taking a vial of fast-acting poison from a hidden pocket in her robe, she went to the counter and poured a glass of wine, slipping the contents of the vial inside. “How about a drink, good sir?” she offered, trying to sound sweet. 

“Oh, not for me, thanks,” Prorok responded. “But I’m sure my men in the stables would enjoy a little something.”

“Very well, then,” Haggar said, snapping her fingers. Ernest appeared at her side instantaneously. “Take this out to the stables.”

Ernest nodded, grabbing the glass and scurrying away. 

The prince stood up. “If I may, I’m going to find a room that suits my needs now.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked right up the stairs and out of Haggar’s sight. The witch was seething. This man was ruining everything! She needed a new plan, and fast. It was time to consult the druids, she decided, wandering into the side storage room to give herself the privacy she needed. 

***

Keith had just finished putting the horses away when the stable door opened, and a young maiden came in. She held a glass of red wine in her hands, which she then thrust at Keith. 

“For me?” he asked, confused. 

She nodded. 

He stared at it, sloshing the liquid around in the cup. Keith was not much of a wine drinker, but he figured he had earned it from the stressful events of the previous days. “I, um, don’t usually accept drinks from strangers, but, uh, this looks pretty good.”

“Thank you,” the girl said in a very deep tone. 

***

Prorok headed up the stairs, scoping out a good place for him to settle down for the night. “Hello,” he said, nodding at Lance, who was still sitting on the bed, waiting for his massage to be finished. 

The prince noticed the still full bathtub and smiled. “Is this being used?”

“Uh… No…” Lance said, turning away in embarrassment as the man stripped and sat down in the tub. 

“So, what brings you here?” Prorok asked, leaning back to let the hot water engulf his tired limbs. 

“Just travelling,” Lance answered him.

“Ah, I see. Yes, the Arusian countryside is quite the sight this time of year. Unfortunately, I have no time for sightseeing, as much as I would like to. I’m in the middle of a very important quest, right now. You see, I’m looking for something of great importance. But first, let me ask you. Have you heard any news of Prince Sendak?”

“Um, no.” Lance wasn’t quite sure why this weirdo was even talking to him. All he wanted was to get back to his massage and go to bed. 

“Alright, I just thought I would ask. It is imperative I find this item before he does. But perhaps, you, at least, have seen or heard of such a thing? It is a very fine necklace with a large diamond…”

Truthfully, Lance wasn’t listening. He closed his eyes, trying to drown out the man’s voice. 

“...It holds an enchantment that allows those of the royal bloodline to transform the diamond back into a ruby, and whoever is able to do that will ascend the throne, so it is of the utmost importance I find it before Sendak does.”

“Yeah, sure,” the star said absentmindedly. 

Suddenly, the man frowned at him. “Wait a moment, young man… Come here for a second…”

Lance slid off the bed. _Perhaps if I do what he asks, he’ll leave me alone soon enough._

Prorok sat up, catching sight of the jewel on the necklace that Lance wore. “Where did you get this?!” he demanded, bolting upright. He grabbed onto the sleeve of Lance’s bathrobe and and yanked at it, pulling him closer. “Give it to me now, foolish boy!”

“Wait, what?! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lance struggled, squirming away from the man’s grasp. 

“That necklace! It’s mine! Give it here!”

“No way, man!” Lance yelped, freeing himself and backing away from the incensed prince. 

Prorok stood up, the water dripping off his naked body. “You--”

At that moment, Haggar burst in, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the scene. “Get away from my star!” she hissed, blasting Prorok back down into the tub. She held him there with her magic as she retrieved the knife from underneath the bed. 

“What?! A star?! How?!” the prince gasped out. “It can’t be…” 

The witch lifted his body in the air, the invisible hand of her magic holding him by the throat. “You will not take him from me!” she screamed, lifting up the dagger and slashing him across the throat. 

Prorok’s body sank back down into the tub with a thump, his blood leaking into the water. 

Lance’s eyes widened. “No way…” he whispered, feeling around behind him for the doorknob. He found it, twisted it, and yanked the door open just as Haggar turned around. 

“You! Star! Stay where you are!”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Lance gulped out as he turned around and sprinted down the stairs. 

***

Keith raised the glass to his lips, preparing to take a sip. The girl had gone back inside the inn, and now it was just him and Prorok’s men, alone in the stables. 

_CRASH!_

The drink was suddenly dislodged from Keith’s hands. It splashed down onto the floor, the poison hissing as it leaked out. Keith stared at it, horrified, as it corroded the floorboards. 

A loud roar shook him from his stupor. In front of him stood a huge blue lioness. _The blue lion! This must’ve been the one who rescued Lance!_

She crouched down, jerking her head at him as if to say _get on!_

Keith obliged, holding on tightly as the lion bounded back through the hole she had made in the stables. She crashed through the wall of the inn, flinging the boy off of her. Keith skidded against the polished wood flooring before colliding straight into someone else. 

“Keith!” a familiar voice shouted. 

“Lance!” Keith shouted back, relief flooding through him. 

“Watch out!” Lance screamed, and Keith turned around to see the witch leaping straight at him, a sharp shard of glass in her hand. Blood dripped off the shard as she flung it about, slashing at the boy. Keith ducked and rolled out of the way. He sprang back to his feet and rushed over to Lance, determined to protect him. 

Lance grabbed onto Keith and held his arm tightly. “Dude, this lady just went totally crazy! She’s tryna kill me and steal my quintessence or something!”

“Well,” Keith said, gritting his teeth. “If it hasn’t escaped your notice, she’s trying to kill me too!” He put his palms on Lance’s chest and shoved him out of the way before jumping aside himself as a bolt of magic flew straight at them. 

“Damn you!” the witch shrieked as they dodged attack after attack. “Billy! Get them!” She snapped her fingers and the goat-man sprang to life, leaping up on the bar counter and bleating at them aggressively. 

He began to charge when the blue lion sprang in his path, wrapping her jaws around his throat and flinging him at the wall. The dead goat flopped onto the floor and the lion faced Haggar, snarling. 

The witch blasted a firebolt out of her hands. The flames caught on the floorboards, setting the inn alight. A wall of flames sprung up around her and the two boys, trapping them. “You cannot escape me, star!” she hissed. 

“Where’s Prince Prorok?” Keith muttered as he backed away from their assailant. 

“You mean the dude with the fancy clothes?” Lance clarified. 

“Yeah. Him.”

“Dead! And we’re gonna be, too, if you don’t do something about it!”

“I’m trying, okay? Just shut up and let me think of something!”

“Well can you maybe hurry up?”

The witch crept closer, raising her bloody shard. Keith and Lance held on tightly to each other, backing up against the wall of the inn. 

Then Keith felt something in his back pocket. “The candle!” he murmured, grabbing it. “Lance, I have a plan, so you’re gonna have to shut up and trust me on this, okay?”

“Sure! Whatever! Just hurry up!” the star cried out as Haggar began to charge them. 

“Close your eyes and think of home!” Keith said urgently, reaching over and sticking the Babylon candle into the flames. “Hold on tight!”

Haggar rushed towards them, thrusting her dagger at the boys. In a flash of light, however, they disappeared, and her shard collided with the brick wall behind them. It shattered into a myriad of little pieces and the witch sunk down to her knees, letting out an ungodly shriek as she realized her prey had vanished into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you this would be a long chapter :' ) Honestly this is one of my favourite scenes in the movies (not THE favourite though; that one will be coming up shortly ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ). Totally a blast to write, too. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Tomorrow I will try to get back to releasing a chapter in the morning/afternoon and one in the evening/night, but seeing as I have to work tomorrow, we'll see how that goes. I know a few of you are excited to meet the captain, and trust me, so am I :D
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, views, and whatnot are all very much appreciated. And I'm a total slut for fanart, so if any of you artists out there need a prompt... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 
> 
> [Got anything to say? You can interact with me here as well!](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter Ten: Airborne

The two boys toppled over on each other as they hit their landing roughly. All at once, a blast of harsh rain slammed into them, drenching them as they instantly interacted with their new surroundings. A bolt of lightning sizzled overtop their heads, and Lance let out a startled yelp. 

“Where… Where are we?” Keith asked shakily. He let go of Lance and gazed around, trying to shield his eyes from the pelting rain. 

“I think… we’re in the clouds,” Lance said, dumbfounded. 

Keith kicked at a fluffy wisp of cloud below his feet, wondering how this possibly worked. There was no apparent platform beneath them, and yet, there they were. Standing solidly and not hurtling downwards like they would be if the physics of this world made any goddamn sense. 

“Great job, genius!” Lance’s voice broke Keith out of his thoughts. “ _Just close your eyes and think of home_! What kind of a stupid plan was that?!”

“It was the best thing I could think of while I was trying to avoid being murdered!” Keith shot back. The rain stung his eyes, making him even feel more irritable than normal. 

“Well then use the Babylon candle to get us out of here!”

“I can’t! It’s gone!”

“What do you mean _it’s gone?!_ ” 

“I mean it disappeared after I used it!”

“Great! Brilliant! Nice freaking job, Mullet! Now we’re stuck! You couldn’t have been any less specific with the directions, could you?” Lance shouted over the howling wind.

“I was thinking of _my_ home! I didn’t know you had something else in mind!”

“So what? You forgot I even had a home? Wow! You are such a mean, stupid jerk!!!”

“And you’re an unbearable selfish brat! If I hadn’t thought of this, we’d still be down there getting attacked by that witch!”

“Well, it’s not like it did us any good, because the only difference is now we’re going to die up here of hypothermia instead!”

“You were the one who had to think of the sky and get us stuck in a cloud!”

“I’ll stick _YOU_ in a cloud!” Lance yelled, balling up his fists. “You know what, Keith?! I’ve had enough of you and your-- holy shit!”

“My _what_?!” Keith was confused. 

Lance’s eyes widened. “Keith, you’re gonna wanna turn around…”

Slowly, he did. Behind him towered a massive airship, its sails billowing out in the wind as it emerged from the darkened clouds. Two lightning nets were positioned on both sides, sucking the bolts in to capture the raw energy. Along the wooden panelling on the side of the ship, huge golden letters spelled out the word VOLTRON. 

“What in the--”

Keith didn’t even have time to finish his sentence, as a net dropped down on him and Lance, pinning them to the cloud. The ship jolted to the side as the net scooped the boys up, dangling them in the air. Slowly, they were lowered onto the ship’s floor. 

Hands grabbed at Keith and Lance, pulling them apart and restraining them.

“Hey!” Lance shouted, struggling. “Get off me, jerk!”

“Dude, I’m sorry,” said a voice from behind him. “You just need to hold still until the captain gets here, so please, like I really don’t want to hurt you, okay?”

The person restraining Keith rolled their eyes. Despite their small size, they had the boy pinned down effortlessly, a small knife held at his throat. “You know you at least could _pretend_ to be intimidating. You’re _supposed_ to be a pirate.” 

“I know, but intimidation’s not really my thing, y’know?”

“Trust me, we _all_ know.” They jabbed Keith between the shoulder blades as he tried to shake them off. He groaned and fell back against the floor. 

“I say why not just give them a good meal, maybe an appetizer, possibly an entree-- plus dessert, of course-- and let them be on their--”

“Shh! The captain’s coming!”

Both of the pirates shut up immediately at the sound of boots clomping against the wooden flooring. Keith and Lance exchanged a worried glance. Suddenly, the sound stopped. The two boys craned their necks, gazing up at the person who stood before them. 

Hands on her hips, a tall, dark-skinned woman with long white cloud of hair brushing down her back glared down at the prisoners being restrained on the floor. Water dripped off her amethyst earrings and onto her thoroughly saturated blue rain cloak.

Lance could feel his jaw drop open. Despite being soaking wet and from the look on her face, not exactly thrilled to have unwanted guests, she was very, very beautiful. If his life wasn’t in danger, he would’ve considered spouting out a few of his best pickup lines at her. 

Keith, however, was much less impressed. “What do you want from us?!” he demanded. 

The woman’s mouth knotted into a hard line as she glowered at him. Finally, she spoke. “Take them to the cellar and bind them.”

***

Sendak flipped the body back over, leaving it facedown on the ground. “Well, well, well. It seems as if someone else has done the honours of finishing up my dear brother.” He turned around to face his men. “The body is Prorok’s! I am king!”

His entourage immediately dropped down on one knee, silently congratulating the prince. Sendak smiled coldly. His route to the throne was now secured. All that was left was to find the necklace and claim his birthright. 

He was about to turn around and signal to his men to leave when he heard a faint groan come from underneath one of the piles of wreckage from the collapsed inn. The prince grabbed at a board and hoisted it away, his right hand immediately reaching for the hilt of his blade. 

Underneath the burnt boards lay a little Arusian. He blinked at the sudden blast of light, taking in the sight of the tall and scary prince who glared down at him. 

“State your business.” Sendak growled. “Quickly.”

Ernest let out a squeak. “P-Please don’t hurt me I was just attacked by a witch and she turned me into a goat and then into a human girl but I’m tired and scared and a long way from home--”

“A witch? What witch?” Sendak interrogated him. 

“A really, really evil witch! She was blasting fire all around and she killed that man over there!” Ernest pointed to Prorok. “A-And there were these two boys, she was after one of them, she k-kept saying he was a star and--”

“A star?!” the prince suddenly interrupted, looking far more interested in the Arusian’s story. “Are you certain?!”

Ernest nodded. “She made me pour him a bath and I-I could see through a crack in the door he was all glow-y and the witch had a knife and she was going to cut out his heart b-but then that dead man over there came by with another boy and interrupted her so she had to kill him so when he went upstairs she came up and stabbed him with a knife, b-because he kept harassing the star over some necklace the star was wearing or something, I-I don’t really know I just heard him yelling a lot and then he was d-d-dead…”

“And the star? What happened to him?”

“He made it downstairs and this other boy came in riding on a blue lion and saved him and then the witch tried to kill him but they disappeared before she could and I have no idea where they went and so the inn burned down and the witch left,” Ernest finished, taking in a gasp of air as he ran out of breath. 

“A star, eh? And a necklace that my brother wanted? Hmmm…” Sendak stroked his chin thoughtfully. “This is becoming very interesting indeed. It seems as if the universe is piling gifts at my feet! With the quintessence of a star, I could be king forever! Come, men! We have a new objective!”

The prince and his entourage rode off, leaving the Arusian behind. Ernest squirmed out of the wreckage and watched them go. He had had more than enough adventure to last a lifetime. It was time for him to go home. 

***

Stopping the carriage she had stolen from the dead prince, Haggar rubbed at her ring frantically. The faces of her two druids soon materialized, and they bowed upon seeing their master. 

“Where did the star go?!” the witch snapped.

“Unfortunately, the star is airborne, Master Haggar,” one of the druids answered. 

“Airborne?! How can this be!” she hissed, furious at herself for letting the chance slip away. 

“Another thing, Master,” the other spoke. “There is someone following behind you-- a prince of Galra. He, too, seeks the star. Be on your guard…” 

The druids faded away, leaving the witch to her lonesome. “So the star is airborne…” she mused aloud. “Hmm… Nevertheless, he cannot stay up there forever. And once his feet touch back on the ground, then I will finally take him, once and for all…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the captain is... Well, you all know who the captain is ; ) Honestly, I really hope I do this upcoming part justice cuz the ship parts are my favourite scenes in the movie.   
> I won't be able to post another chapter today (and tbh I almost ran out of time for this one because I was too busy pretending to be an adult) but tomorrow I have a lot of spare time on my hands, so I'll aim for two chapters then. 
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, views, and the like are all very much appreciated and WOOT BROKE 100 KUDOS which is probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but hey! This is by far the most popular fic I have ever posted on the internet (and no, you don't get to know where the other ones are because embarrassing). So yeah! Thanks to all you guys, readers old and new alike. You guys rock <3
> 
> [tumblr me if you'd like!](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	12. Chapter Eleven: Bonding Moment

It had only been ten minutes since the two boys had been hauled down to the ship’s cellar, yet Keith had already accepted his fate. His wrists were numb from where they were tightly bound behind his back, the ropes cutting into his flesh. He supposed he should be grateful that his captors had the common decency to provide him and Lance with chairs to tie them up on. 

Heh. He almost laughed. Had he really gotten so despondent that he was actually thankful for a place to sit? 

Maybe Iverson was right. Maybe he was weak and pathetic, taking on this ridiculously stupid endeavour and then failing miserably at it. Hell, if it wasn’t for the Babylon candle, he wouldn’t’ve even made it past the guard. 

Behind him, Lance let out a quiet sigh. He was tied up on a chair facing opposite to Keith’s so that the duo were back-to-back. 

“I can’t believe this…” the star muttered. “This is all your fault, Mullet.”

Keith’s eyes flashed. “So what? Now you’re back to blaming _me_ for all this?”

“Well, yeah, it _is_ kinda your fault.”

“ _My_ fault? How is this _my_ fault? You’re the one who went into the stupid inn and almost got killed by that witch, which definitely would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up!”

“Well, _maybe_ if you bothered to get me food like I asked, I wouldn’t’ve had to go find an inn in the first place!”

“If you had just stayed chained to the tree like you were supposed to, I would’ve gotten you the stupid tuna melt and everything would’ve been fine!”

Lance scowled. “Stayed chained to the tree like I was supposed to?! What the hell does that even _mean_?! You really expected to take me hostage and just thought I’d go along with it, like _oh, Keith, you’re sooooooo important and I care so much about going to a space center and being treated like a science project, huh?! HUH?!_ Did you ever think to pull your head out of your ass for like two seconds to think about what I wanted?! Cuz I’m a person, Keith! I have feelings!”

“You think I wanted any of this to happen?!” Keith shot back. “Because I didn’t! I don’t! I want to go home just as much as you do, Lance! I’m sick and tired of this world! I wanna go home to where there are no flying pirate ships and where candles don’t go anywhere and-- and where stars are just giant balls of gas in outer space! Plus my brother doesn’t know where I am and he’s probably really worried and I could just die up here right now and he’d never even know!”

He leaned backwards, letting out a deep, angry breath. Behind him, however, instead of yelling back, Lance sniffled. 

“Wait-- are you crying?” Keith asked hesitantly. 

“S-Shut up, okay?! I’m scared! I’m really, really scared!” Lance choked out. 

“Listen, Lance,” Keith sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry. I’m scared too. Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever think I’d die on a flying pirate ship, is all.”

That got a small laugh out of the star. “That _is_ a pretty freaking weird way to go. Kinda suits you, though.”

“Says the one wearing a bathrobe,” Keith couldn’t help but tease. 

Lance snorted. “Still looks better than your mullet.”

They both started laughing, their anxiety and fears draining out of them and the argument of a few moments ago completely forgotten. 

“Lance, can I tell you something?” Keith asked once the laughter had died down. 

“Sure.”

“The whole reason I went on this quest for the Garrison was because they fired me. I… I made a bet with one of my superiors that if I went to get a fallen meteorite sample from the other side of the wall within a month, then I could prove myself worthy of winning my job back. And when I agreed to that, I honestly thought I’d find a lump of rock or something. I wasn’t expecting, well…”

“Me,” Lance finished for him. He let out a sad laugh. “I guess you got a lot more than you bargained for.”

“Yeah,” Keith agreed. “Although, I can’t decide if that’s a bad thing or not. It’s made this ordeal a hell of a lot more interesting, at the very least.”

“Ha! I’ll bet it did.” Lance’s face lit up into a cocky grin. There was a lull in the conversation before the star finally asked, “So, how did you get fired, anyways?”

“I’m honestly not really sure. I mean, I guess I did talk back to Iverson-- my supervisor-- a few times, and I also had kind of a bad habit of being late. But other than that, I turned in all my work on time and did everything I was supposed to. In the end, I guess it just wasn’t enough for him.”

Lance looked surprised. “Why not?”

“He had a problem with me. Every chance he got to lecture me and berate me over something, he did, and I guess he finally snapped and fired me on the spot.”

“Over what?”

“I pointed out to him that I’d been in an entry level position for six months when I should’ve gotten a promotion by then. I was kinda frustrated, so I guess I did kinda snap at him. But I think all along, he was waiting for me to do or say anything he didn’t like so he could finally get rid of me, and I ended up serving it straight to him that day.”

“Well, that’s a really dumb reason to fire someone.”

“I thought so too, but now… Now I’m kind of thinking I sort of deserved it. Maybe Iverson was right. Maybe I am weak and pathetic-- I guess this whole mess we’re in only started because I wanted so badly to prove him wrong. I wanted it so badly, Lance, and now look at me. Tied up in a cellar. Pathetic.” He spat out the last word as if it was filled with poison. 

“Keith.” Lance spoke in a soft tone the other boy had never heard from him before. The star moved his right hand so that their fingers were lightly touching. “This Iverson jerk is completely wrong. Listen. If there's one thing I've learned about all my years watching Earth, is that people aren't what they may seem. And yeah, sometimes you’re a huge jerk and really stuck up and selfish, but you’re also loyal, and brave, and a pretty good guy. Trust me, Keith. Iverson has it all wrong. If there’s one thing you’re not, it’s pathetic. You saved my life from that crazy witch, after all. And I… I guess I should say thank you for that.”

Keith couldn’t help but smile at the star’s words. He felt something stirring inside his chest, a kind of warmth that washed over his body, soft and gentle yet also strangely exciting. 

He didn’t have much time to ponder this strange new feeling, however, as the door to the cellar suddenly swung open. The captain entered, followed by the two people who had restrained Keith and Lance earlier. One was a large man with an orange headband tied around his forehead, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. The other was small, androgynous, and wore large, circular-rimmed glasses. 

“Who are you?! What were you doing up there in the sky?!” the captain demanded, crossing her arms. 

“My name is Keith Kogane,” Keith said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. “This is my, uh, friend, Lance. We were running from an evil witch when I used a Babylon candle and accidentally got us stuck in the clouds.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You had a Babylon candle? Those things are impossible to obtain nowadays! Just how did you manage to get one?”

“It was a gift from my deceased mother,” Keith explained. Noting the skeptical expression on her face, he continued, “I don’t expect you to believe me, but we mean you no harm.”

“It was all a big accident so if you wanna untie us, that’d be great,” Lance added. 

“Hmm…” She pursed her lips, scrutinizing them. “Perhaps I shall. But, if you make one wrong move, I won’t hesitate to throw either of you overboard. Hunk, Pidge. Please untie our guests.”

The other two nodded, going over and undoing the knots. Keith rubbed at his throbbing wrists while Lance stretched his arms into the air. 

“I am Allura, captain of the great ship _Voltron_. And these are my crew: Hunk, the engineer and cook, and Pidge, my navigator and communications specialist,” the woman spoke, pointing at the others as she introduced them. 

“You run this ship with only the three of you?” Keith asked doubtfully. 

Allura’s mouth twisted up into a wry smile. “Of course. Just me, my crew, and a little bit of magic. I inherited this ship from my father, the fearsome Captain Alfor of Altea. You could say that running it is in my blood.” She winked. “Before my current crew, it was just me and my uncle, but he retired and settled down in some village called Wall.”

“Wall?” Keith perked up. “That’s where I’m from!”

“You’re from Wall?” Allura looked confused. “How the quiznak did you get all the way over here so quickly?”

Keith glanced over at Lance. “That’s a long story.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt you guys, but dinner’s gonna get cold if we don’t eat soon,” Hunk piped up. 

Allura smiled, turning to face him. “Oh, I’m well aware of what happens if you don’t get to the food fast enough, Hunk,” she teased. “But first things first, I have to… er, make some arrangements with our guests. Go set the table and we’ll be right there.”

Pidge and Hunk exited the cellar, playfully bickering over something having to do with proper cutlery arrangements on their way out. Allura turned back to the two boys. “Come with me. We have a pressing matter to attend to.”

Keith and Lance exchanged a glance as Allura towed them out of the cellar and into her private quarters. She stopped in front of a large wooden door, situated next to a table stacked with maps and navigation tools and flung the door open. The two boys let out a surprised gasp as they gazed into the closet, stuffed to the brim with rows and rows of clothing. 

“Is this all yours?” Keith asked tentatively. 

Allura laughed. “Heavens, no. Much of this belongs to my uncle. He has quite the extravagant taste. I’m sure I’m bound to find something that will fit you in here somewhere.”

As if walking into a room full of treasure, the boys wandered through the clothes with their mouths hanging open. Lance reached up and stroked the hem of a silk blouse, whistling in amazement.

Keith stopped next to an old, grainy portrait of a man with a red moustache, wearing a fluffy pink outfit with a little heart painted on his face. He frowned. “That man… I know him! That’s the wall guard! But how is he here?!”

“We Alteans age very gracefully,” Allura murmured, coming up behind him. She pressed something long and soft to his back. “Hmm… I think that should fit. Why not try this on?”

The captain thrust a bundle of clothes at Keith. “There’s a little room just there you can use.”

Keith nodded and took the clothing, heading inside the squishy closet space. He was glad to be out of his damp, dirty clothes and into something that smelled one hell of a lot better. Allura had picked out a plain white dress shirt with a dark brown vest and a pair of black pants that he could only describe as tough spandex. There was a brown belt with a tarnished golden buckle that went around his waist. 

He pushed open the door of the closet and stepped out. Allura poked her head out from behind a rack of clothing. She beamed. “Much better, Keith. But you still need one last thing…” She ducked back into the row and dug around for something. “Aha!”

Allura pulled out a long coat made of softened burgundy leather and tossed it at him. Keith caught it, surprised by its lightness. He slipped it on, admiring himself in the mirror. Although he had never been one for vanity, he had to admit, he looked good. 

“Hey, Mullet!” Lance called out from the other end of the clothing closet. “Check this out! Am I cool or what?”

The star stepped out to reveal his new outfit. He wore a fancy light blue vest with golden clips running down the center atop a long-sleeved white shirt with billowing sleeves, cuffed off at the wrist. His pants were navy in colour and extended down to just before his knees, partially obscured by the ruffles at the bottom of the white shirt. 

Keith felt his breath catch in his throat. His heart hammered as if it were trying to leap out of his chest. A warm blush crept across his cheeks as the star dramatically twirled around, showing off. Keith didn’t want to admit it, but he did look good. _Really, really good. Maybe even beautiful. No. Definitely beautiful._

Lance frowned and waved his hand in front of Keith’s face. “Airship Voltron to Keith! Hello? Anyone in there?”

Keith blinked. “Yeah. It’s just that you look...” _Stunning._ “Funny.”

“Whatever, Mullet Man. I wouldn’t expect you to recognize true beauty anyways.”

Allura surveyed both the boys with a grin. “Finally! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for someone to dress up! Hunk and Pidge are great crewmembers, but they’re impossible to drag into here! But speaking of Hunk and Pidge, it’s time we went to get a bite to eat.”

She escorted them out of the room. Keith playfully shoved Lance on the way out, and he stuck his tongue out of him in return. Allura rolled her eyes at their antics, but didn’t complain. 

Hunk really lived up to his reputation as the small crew’s skilled chef. The meal was a delicious vegetable stew, served with the freshest ingredients he could find at their last port, as he proclaimed. Lance and Keith dug in hungrily, as did Pidge, Allura, and of course, Hunk himself. 

“So, what do you guys do, anyways?” Lance asked between mouthfuls. “Like, you’re pirates, right? Do you steal treasure and have sword fights and stuff?”

Allura laughed. “If we’re lucky, we might run into one of Zarkon’s ships and plunder it a bit. Perhaps a sword fight along the way. But mostly, we’re sailing smoothly, collecting lightning quintessence to sell at port.”

The star looked confused. “I thought King Zarkon was dead?”

“He is. But the Galra Empire remains strong as ever.” Allura’s tone darkened. She gripped her fork tightly, bending it in her iron grasp. “Those monsters destroyed my home. The once-great nation of Altea is gone because of them, along with so many of my friends and family. I was one of the lucky few who escaped, along with my father and uncle. My father found this ship and decided to turn it into a vehicle for resistance against that tyrant. And even though the king is gone, his legacy lives on in his sons. I fear that even when an heir is chosen, he will only continue the destruction his father began.”

“I met one of his sons. He was a total asshole.” Lance scooped a whole chunk of potato in his mouth and swallowed it. 

Allura couldn’t help but chuckle at the star’s bluntness. “I reckon so.”

“Captain Allura,” Keith spoke up. “We can’t stay for long, but if you take us as close as you can get to the wall, then we’ll aid you in your fight against Galra for the time being.”

“Yeah! If we run into those jerks, I’ll go _blam! Blam! Ka-pow!_ on them!” Lance added, completing his sound effects with gestures of him punching invisible enemies. 

Allura smiled. “Thank you both. I’ll be happy to have you aboard. We should reach the wall within three weeks. Until then, consider yourselves members of _Voltron_!”

The five of them raised their glasses for a toast. Keith couldn’t help but notice how Lance seemed to have a shine to him as he hoisted his cup in the air, spilling a bit on the table. Sure, the star could be obnoxious, rude, and a bit of a showboat, but Keith couldn’t help but wonder.

_Am I really doing the right thing by turning him into the Garrison when we get back?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maaaaaaaaannnnnn this took forever to write! But it was by far the most fun I've had with a chapter yet, mostly because I got to describe their outfits (I love costumes like you don't even know) so yeah. I would like to leave an Official Art Prompt™ here for anyone who would like to attempt drawing this! 
> 
> Also yeah Coran is finally mentioned, I'm not sure how many of you caught that he was also the wall guard but don't worry! I have a reason for that and yes he will be in it later on :) and you all know how I had to include at least one Captain Shakespeare reference, and he seemed the character to do it with. 
> 
> OKAY NOW THIS NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT FOR REGULAR READERS:
> 
> THIS FIC WILL UPDATE ONE CHAPTER ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS, AND SUNDAYS FROM NOW UNTIL IT IS FINISHED. Because I go back to school in like two(?) days. Hopefully I won't have too much work piled on me this early in the semester, but ya never know. 
> 
> Questions? hmu [here on tumblr!](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter Twelve: Stormchasing

“Fasten the lightning nets!” Allura commanded as the boat rocked to the right. The storm thrashed against the sails, billowing out in the strong wind. Rain pelted down on the five soaked figures as they darted around the shop, trying to steady it against the harsh weather. 

Pidge and Hunk gripped onto one of the lightning nets, tying it to the side of the ship. Hunk’s face looked as if it had turned green, He leaned out over the railing and hurled. 

“Could you at least wait until we finish with the net before you do that?” Pidge shouted over the wind. 

“Sorry! I couldn’t hold it in any longer!” Hunk shouted back. “At least I didn’t do it on the deck this time!”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “Real improvement there!”

Lance and Keith, too, struggled to put out their lightning net on the other side of the ship. Keith looped the rope over the railing, pulling on it tightly. He stumbled, struggling to right himself against the wind. A rather nasty jolt snapped one of the cables, which flew off, dangling away from the ship. 

“Lance! Hold this rope!” Keith commanded, thrusting it at the other boy. 

“What?! Wait, why?! Where are you going?!” Lance yelled, glancing over at him. 

“Just hold it!”

“Okay, okay!”

Keith gritted his teeth and climbed up on the railing. Twisting an already secured rope around his hand, he leaned his body weight over the edge. 

“Keith!” Lace shouted at him, his voice straining over the noise of the storm. 

“Don’t worry! I know what I’m doing!” He stole a glance over his shoulder, looking back at the star. Their eyes met, and Keith smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be fine!”

Lance looked as if he was going to argue, but he merely nodded. “Better not mess it up, Mullet!”

Keith felt his heart squeeze. Despite the annoying nickname, he couldn’t help but grin at the star’s jest. “I won’t if you don’t!”

He gripped tightly onto his support rope and inched over to where the loose cable fluttered, just out of reach. Rocking back and forth on his heels, he gathered momentum until finally, he leapt off the boat, swinging into midair. 

“KEITH!!!” Lance screamed, his eyes wide with shock. “You idiot! Get back here!”

Keith ignored him. He reached out, his fingers grasping onto the loose cable. Smiling triumphantly, he let his momentum carry him back over to the ship’s railing. He steadied himself as he landed, then jammed the cable back into place.

His elation didn’t last long, however, as the ship shook violently, dislodging the railing from beneath Keith’s feet. “Woah!” he gasped out as he lost his balance.

“Keith!” Lance rushed forwards, quickly wrapping the rope he held around a pole. He reached over, grabbing the other boy by his jacket sleeve and tugging him back onto the ship. The two of them toppled over, Keith landing squarely on Lance’s chest. 

“I hate to say I told you so, but I definitely told ya so.” There was a teasing smugness to the star’s voice.

Keith couldn’t help but laugh. “Then shut up, moron.”

He only slowly became aware of the vulnerable position the star was in. Lance was sprawled out on the ground, gazing up at Keith, a light glow emanating off of his skin. Keith fought off the urge gently touch Lance’s face, brushing the rainwater off his cheek. 

“Get a room later!” Pidge shouted at them, breaking Keith out of his trance. “We got work to do!”

Keith stood up and pulled Lance to his feet. Blushes had spread across both of their faces. 

“Uh, thanks for catching me,” Keith said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. 

Lance grinned cockily. “Someone had to save you from your own stupidity.”

All ropes and cables in place, the four crewmembers stood back and watched as the bolts of lightning were drawn into the nets. Allura stood at the helm of the ship, her hands gripped rightly on the steering wheel as she guided them expertly through the storm. The ship cruised through the clouds, sucking up the raw energy as it went.

Finally, the sky lightened and the last lightning bolt sizzled through the nets, depositing into the energy canister next to Allura. She shut it and picked it up as if it were a trophy she had won. “Another success! We’ll make a fair price of this at port tomorrow!”

The crew cheered. Pidge flashed a thumbs up at the others, and Hunk and Lance exchanged a high five. Keith smiled, watching the group enjoy their success. He was never really one for group hugs or team bonding or whatnot, instead preferring to stick to the outside of the group whenever the situation called for some kind of celebration. Similarly, making friends had never been his strong point, either. Even though only a week had passed since he and Lance had joined _Voltron_ ’s crew, he hadn’t become particularly close with any of the other members. Lance and Hunk, however, were already acting like they’d been best friends all their lives. 

“Dude! We totally owned that!” Lance cheered, slapping Hunk on the back. 

“Heck yeah!” Hunk agreed. 

“Great work!” Allura congratulated them, coming down from the helm to stand with her crew. “You’re all finally starting to work as a team!”

“Yeah! Did you see how I saved Keith’s life?!” Lance bragged. “He totally would’ve died if I hadn’t been there.”

Keith snorted. “If I’d known I’d have to listen to you boast about it afterwards, I would’ve gladly jumped.”

“Whatever, Mullet. You’re just jealous you didn’t get to be the hero!”

“I just figured you’d gone on long enough without doing anything important.”

“I particularly liked the part where you two gazed soulfully into each other’s eyes,” Pidge snickered. 

Both Keith and Lance went bright red. “We did not!” they protested in unison. 

Allura sighed. “And they’re already back to bickering like children. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.”

***

The ship made port that following day, docking at a secluded, shady spot next to a rather large wooden shack with a sign above the door that had the word “SUPPLIES” written sloppily in red ink. Allura tied it off, leaving Pidge to guard it as she, Hunk, Keith, and Lance headed inside. 

A bell jingled as they entered, and a slim man in an aviator’s hat instantly sat up from where he was slouched over the counter. A sly grin lit up his face as he saw his new customers. “Hey, Allura. You got anything good for me today?”

“Good to see you, Rolo,” the captain responded with a smile. She dropped the canister of lightning onto the counter. “I’ll take 200 for this.”

Rolo peered down, scrutinizing it. “I’d say it’s worth more like 100.”

Allura frowned. “I said, I’ll take 200.”

“120.”

“200.”

“130.”

“200.”

“150?”

“Nope. 200.”

“I’ll give you 180 at the most.”

“Well, that’s too bad. I suppose I’ll have to sell this elsewhere…” Allura sighed, reaching over to pull the canister back. 

Rolo immediately hovered over it, cradling it possessively. “195, and that’s my final offer.”

“195 it is,” Allura agreed. They shook hands. 

“Did she really just…” Lance whispered to Hunk, pointing. 

“Yeah. Dude, you do not wanna mess with Business Mode Allura,” Hunk whispered back. “Rolo there had to learn that the hard way.”

“Nyma!” Rolo called out. “Allura’s here! I need 195 gold!”

“Coming!” a woman’s voice sounded from the back room. Minutes later, she emerged, holding a small bag of coins. She tossed it at Allura, who caught it effortlessly. 

Lance grinned when he saw her. Turning on his charm, he pointed finger guns at her, trying to look cool, as he suavely said, “Hello there~ The name’s Lance~”

To his surprise, however, she completely ignored him, as if he weren’t even there. Instead, she turned to Allura. “Good to see you again, Captain.”

“And you,” Allura replied. She shot a hostile glare at Lance, and he immediately backed down, slinking back over to Hunk, who patted him on the back sympathetically. The captain leaned on the counter, dropping her voice down to a whisper as she asked, “So, got any news from Galra?”

Rolo nodded. “So far, princes Nexus, Myzax, and recently, Prorok, have died. That leaves Sendak,” he answered gravely. “However, not all hope is completely lost. Before Zarkon died, he made it a requirement for whoever to succeed the throne to find some enchanted necklace. Fortunately, if Sendak can’t find it, that means he can’t yet be king. If someone gets to it before he does, perhaps before long, the state will turn to anarchy.”

“One can only hope.” Allura sighed. “It is of the utmost importance that Sendak fails to find this necklace.”

The two continued talking in hushed tones. Keith had long since wandered off, admiring all the strange curiosities that the shop contained. He stopped, reaching out to touch an ugly stone gargoyle. Its tongue was sticking out of its mouth as it grimaced back at him. 

“Hey, it’s you!” Lance joked, poking Keith in the ribs as he came up behind him. 

Keith shook his head. “You’re wrong. It’s clearly you.”

“Oh yeah?” Lance pointed to a broken doll’s head. “Well then, that’s you.”

Keith smirked and grabbed onto Lance’s arm. “Come with me.”

He led him past where Rolo and Allura talked to a small alcove next to the counter. Behind a glass case was the ugliest thing either of them had ever seen. It was a hideously misshapen creature that appeared to be a rotting monkey corpse from the waist up and a fish from the waist down. 

“Now that,” Keith stated, “Is you.”

Lance’s jaw dropped open. “No way!”

“...the rumours have reached my ears that a star has fallen in Galra,” Rolo said, whispering loudly. Lance immediately froze, shifting his attention over to the conversation. 

Allura frowned at him. “Seriously?”

“Yes!” he insisted. “They say that Prince Sendak has gotten wind of it and is now going to hunt it down! Think of what a man like that could do with the quintessence of a star!”

“It’s… It’s unthinkable…”

“I know. But stars are also very valuable in my trade. All the money I could get for one of those…” he licked his lips. “I could live out the rest of my life like a king! No more running this shop, no more hiding from the Empire. Think of it, Allura! We could even be powerful enough to take down Galra once and for all!”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. His breathing became ragged and thin as he strained his ears. 

The captain crossed her arms. “You should know better than to meddle with stars, Rolo.” She turned her head, stealing a quick glance at Lance. “I would advise you to stay out of it.”

“But--” the shopkeeper began to protest. 

“If anyone will find the star, it shall be me.” Her tone of voice became suddenly very cold. “Do you understand?”

Rolo averted his gaze. “Yes, Captain Allura.”

She smiled. “Good.”

From across the shop, Nyma rolled her eyes. “You’re not still going on about that star nonsense, are you? Thanks for talking some sense into him, Allura. He wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Think nothing of it,” the captain replied cooly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going on my way. Hunk, Keith, Lance. Let’s go.”

The trio followed her out the door, Lance winking one last time at Nyma before he left. Again, she didn’t acknowledge him, instead musing aloud to Rolo, “Who’s Lance? I thought there were only two of them in there.”

They boarded the ship and set sail once more. Although the skies were clear and sunny, Lance couldn’t help but feel the dark shadow of Allura and Rolo’s conversation weighing over him. And the way Allura had glanced over… Did she know? And even if she didn’t, how long would it be until she found out?

He kept on his guard all throughout supper, watching her mannerisms towards him carefully. She seemed more hesitant, speaking a bit more politer as if he were an esteemed guest and not just some scrappy kid she found stranded on a cloud. Once in awhile, he would look over and see her eyes watching him closely, reading his every move. 

No star was safe in Galra, and despite the raucous laughter, the entertaining company, and the delicious food, Lance couldn’t help but feel that he was in more danger than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before school starts back up again... yay... 
> 
> As I said before, though, I will try to stick to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday schedule since I either don't have work or school or at least not all day on those days. Nothing in life can be 100% guaranteed, though, and I may not always be able to update then. Doom and gloom aside, I 100000% intend to finish this fic, so do expect the next chapter on Wednesday. 
> 
> Until then, comments, kudos, views, fanart, and practically anything else involving an audience response to this fic is very very much appreciated, and thanks for sticking with me so far. It's the readers that keep me writing, after all. 
> 
>  
> 
> [In the meanwhile, interact with me on tumblr! I may also post fic updates here fyi.](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Lessons

Allura’s blade came down fast and hard, smacking Keith in the shoulder with its dull edge. He stumbled backwards, his legs giving out from under him as he fell onto his bottom, his own sword dislodged from his hand. It landed on the floor of the ship with a loud _clang_.

The captain reached down and helped him up. “A good swordsman minds their defense as much as their offense,” she chided him. 

Keith groaned. They had been at these sessions for just over a week, and he had yet to come close to beating his opponent. To be fair, though, Allura was a very skilled fighter. He was sort of impressed that she had the patience to deal with a reckless amateur like himself, day after day. 

“You never know when these skills will come in handy protecting someone you care about,” she continued, her eyes shifting over to where Lance and Hunk stood. Lance waved his arms in the air emphatically as he loudly re-enacted a story to his friend. Hunk smiled and nodded along as he talked. 

Allura picked up his sword and handed it back to him. “Ready to try again?”

Keith nodded, adjusting his footing and holding his blade at the ready. 

The captain made the first move, striking at him with her blade angled towards his chest. Keith darted out of the way, spinning back and clashing his sword against hers. She pulled out, bringing her sword around to smack his hard blows away. 

Panting, Keith took a step back. He sprang up, charging at Allura with a downward slash. She deflected it, parrying back at him with quick jabs of her own. Metal clashed against metal as they moved back and forth, in and out, swinging their swords at each other mercilessly. 

Allura swung her blade downwards and Keith leapt back, losing his balance. He tumbled to the floor, tucking and rolling out of the way as the captain tried to take advantage of her opponent’s weakness. Keith gritted his teeth, pushing himself back up with one hand and blocking a blow with the sword in his other. 

“Woah, guys, don’t you think you’re getting a little close?” Hunk asked nervously, ducking to avoid one of Allura’s deadly sideswipes. 

“We’re at war, Hunk,” Allura responded through clenched teeth as she swung at Keith viciously. 

Keith had no choice but to take on the defensive. He raised his blade, letting the thick edge take the hit. The metal clanged loudly as Allura’s sword collided with it, leaving a dent. He pushed her back, and she moved with it, the momentum bringing them to a standstill. 

Both panting and sweating profusely, they glared at each other, both refusing to back down or surrender. Allura suddenly leapt forward, bringing her blade up over her head, ready to slash down on her target below. But to Keith’s surprise, she completely went right past him, instead aiming her blow at…

_Lance. Shit._

Instinct took over and Keith dashed to the side, tilting his blade into a defensive position. Lance looked completely confused as the captain rushed towards him, ready to murder. He gulped, fear and panic beginning to swell up in him. _She knows she knows she’s gonna kill me and eat my heart I knew it please no I can’t die like this--_

Suddenly, he found himself sprawled out on the ground, someone standing over him, holding the captain back. Keith pushed at Allura, knocking her down and dislodging the sword from her hands. He swung his own blade to her neck.

Allura grinned. “And he finally learns his lesson. Well done, Keith.”

Keith withdrew his blade, still panting. He reached down and helped Lance up. “Sorry about that.”

“Uh… no problem…” Lance said, blinking. He was completely confused at what had just happened. _Wait, what? So she wasn’t trying to kill me? And Keith? He… saved me? Why?_

***

Keith sat with his back against the ship’s cabin wall, his legs splayed out casually as he watched Lance try to waltz with Allura. Although she had taken the lead, he was so awkward and stiff that they had to slow to half-pace just to keep him from tripping over his own feet. 

Over on the ship’s bow, Hunk lit the last of the lanterns, brightening up the deck against the sky’s fade into dusk. Pidge was perched on the stairs, cranking the music box at a pace appropriate for Lance’s clumsiness. They couldn’t contain the grin on their face at watching the amusing scene playing out in front of them. Hunk, on the other hand, looked far more worried. 

Allura dipped the star over, leaning him towards the ground. Then she pulled him back up, her lips brushing past his ear. “Lance, I know what you are,” she whispered. 

His eyes widened, a pit of dread opening up in his stomach. He stumbled, and Allura caught him, holding him upright. 

“Have no fear, no one on this vessel will harm you, but there are plenty who would,” she continued, leaning into him once more. 

Lance let out a soft exhale as he noticed the non-threatening expression in the captain’s eyes. She gazed at him, almost concerned. 

Allura pulled him back in, whispering in his ear again. “Your emotions give you away, Lance. You must learn to control them. You’ve been glowing more brightly every day, y’know, and…” Her gaze shifted over to where Keith sat. “I think you know why.”

“‘Course I know why I’m glowing!” Lance said indignantly, his face reddening. “I’m a star! And what do stars do best?”

Allura smiled wryly. “Well, certainly not the waltz.”

“Having trouble there, Lance?” Keith called out teasingly. 

Lance frowned at him. “You think you can do better, Mullet?”

“Yeah, actually, I can.” Keith stood up and strode over to them. He tapped Allura on the shoulder and she gracefully bowed out. “I’ll lead.”

Lance nodded, feeling surprised and strangely delighted at the sudden change in partner. One of Keith’s hands entwined with his while the other rested on his back. 

“You ready?” Keith whispered. 

“Bring it on.” Lance tried to give him one of his cocky grins in order to hide the blush that crept onto his cheeks. 

Pidge cranked the music box once more and the song echoed out of the phonograph, its first notes drifting in the cool night breeze. 

Gripping Lance’s hand tightly, Keith began. Swiftly, he moved back and forth, gently pulling the star along with him. Lance seemed to relax, letting himself be led by Keith’s rhythm. His face lit up as he began to shine very brightly. 

Keith blinked, adjusting to the sudden burst of light, but he kept his motion steady. He raised his arm, and Lance instinctively twirled under it, stooping down slightly to adjust to the height difference. 

“Where did you learn to dance?” Lance asked breathlessly, not even bothering to hide his amazement at Keith’s apparent hidden talent. 

“School,” Keith answered. “We had a mandatory ballroom dancing unit, which I honestly never thought would ever come in handy. Lucky me, huh.”

“Lucky indeed,” Lance echoed. “You’re, uh, not too terrible at this.”

“I wish I could say the same for you,” Keith teased. 

“Don’t rub it in, Mullet,” the star retorted, biting back a grin. He leaned into Keith, enveloping his warmth, feeling the softness of his touch, the steadiness of his pace… It was everything Lance had never known he had wanted until this moment. A blush crept its way onto his cheeks. He didn’t know it was possible for him to be this… happy. 

And as he leaned his head down on Keith’s shoulder, their bodies swaying back and forth to the music, he let the thought cross his mind that he never wanted this night to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a shorter chapter, but I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with school this week so I didn't have as much energy, time, or motivation to write as much as I would've liked. I guess I haven't been that inspired lately. I would like to have the next chapter done by Sunday but idk how that'll all go. If there is a lot of interest on this fic, then I'll probably be way more inclined to update quicker and motivated to actually finish it. So please, let me know what you think! Feedback is awesome!
> 
> Oh, and while you read this chapter, I'd recommend [listening to this song from the official soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv-0TDYrCOA). The dancing music starts at about 2:16. 
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, views, etc are very much appreciated. Thanks for sticking with me this far, it means a lot. 
> 
> [tumblr me here.](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Incoming

The ship careened to the side as it splashed into the lake, sending all five of its occupants sprawling to the floor upon impact. Allura was the first to stand back up, brushing off her dress and tossing the anchor over the edge. 

“You guys all right?” Hunk called out, his legs wobbling as he clambered to his feet. 

“No,” Pidge groaned, sticking their arm in the air. Hunk took it and pulled them upwards. 

“That was awesome!” Lance yelled giddily, the adrenaline of the descent still coursing through him. He leaned over the railing, scouring the landscape of the fields beyond the lake. 

“If you fall in, I’m not going after you,” Keith warned him. 

“Then maybe I’ll have to throw you in first,” Lance retorted, grinning mischievously. 

Keith took a step backwards. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What, are you scared of a little water? Bawk-bawk-bawk--”

“There will be no throwing anyone in the lake,” Allura interrupted. She turned to Keith. “We’re about five days’ walk away from the wall. At a good pace, you should make it back by the end of the month. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you in any closer. This is the nearest port I could locate.”

“Don’t worry about that, we’ll be fine,” Keith reassured her. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done, Captain Allura. Thank you.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Lance echoed. He winked at her flirtatiously, and she rolled her eyes at him. 

Keith couldn’t suppress the twinge of jealousy that rose up in him at the star’s gesture. _He never looks at me like that… Wait, why do I even care, anyways? It’s just Lance being Lance, it’s not like it means anything, right? But what if it does and I’ve just been too blind to see it--_

“Keith? You okay, buddy?” Lance asked, concerned, waving a hand in front of Keith’s face. 

Keith blinked. “Yeah. Just, uh, thinking about, er, dinner.”

“You know there’s this town down thataways a bit that has a pretty great tavern called The Slaughtered Prince,” Hunk spoke up. “Mention that Hunk sent you and you might get a discount.”

Lance clapped him on the back. “Always taking care of us, huh, Hunk, old pal?” He suddenly began to sniffle, as if he were about to burst into tears. “I’m gonna miss you guys so much!”

“I’m gonna miss you too, Lance,” Hunk agreed, wiping at his eyes. Within seconds, both boys were blubbering loudly and hugging each other like two magnets clasped together. 

“Drama kings,” Pidge said, pushing their glasses up with their index finger. 

“No kidding,” Keith agreed. 

“But hey, it has been cool knowing you. If you ever find the sasquatch, you’ll let me know, right?”

Keith smiled, fondly remembering the nights they had stayed up late, swapping stories of infamous cryptids from their worlds. “Of course. And if you ever find the Jabberwocky, I get to come see it first.”

“Agreed,” Pidge said. They stuck out their hand and Keith shook it. 

Once Hunk and Lance had finally broken apart, Allura gathered Keith and Lance in her arms, giving them a tight farewell hug. “You’ve both been so great. I’ll really miss you.”

“And _I’ll_ miss _you_ ,” Lance said, doing his signature finger guns move at her.

Allura groaned. “Okay, I won’t miss _that_.”

“Ready to go?” Keith asked, turning to Lance. 

The star let out a sigh. “I guess so.”

“Before you go, though, I have a gift for each of you,” Allura spoke up. She turned to Hunk and Pidge and nodded. They both scurried away, returning seconds later with a long, flat object wrapped in cloth. 

“For you, Keith,” the captain said. 

Keith took the object and unwrapped it. The cloth fell to the ground, revealing a beautiful silver sword with rubies embedded in a star-shaped pattern on the hilt. He ran his finger along the flat edge of the blade, admiring it before giving it a swing. It was surprisingly light, he noted, as it whistled through the air.

“Thank you,” Keith breathed in amazement. 

Allura smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Now for you, Lance…”

Hunk brought forward a smaller, more lumpy bundle. The star took it, unwrapping it eagerly. 

“Wow!” he exclaimed, admiring the small blaster within. The weapon bore a slight resemblance to a standard pistol, only this was rounder in its shape and decorated with small sapphires that spiraled along the handle. Lance pulled the trigger underneath the barrel, and a small bolt of lightning shot out, scorching the floor.

“Not on the ship, please,” Allura scolded him, annoyed. 

“This is so cool!” Lance squeaked. “Thanks, Allura!”

“We figured it would be less irritating than that stupid finger guns thing you do,” Pidge said dryly, which got a chuckle out of everyone except Lance.

“Well, I suppose it’s time we say goodbye to our guests,” Allura said once the laughter died down. “Hunk, Pidge. The boarding ramp, please.”

The two crewmembers nodded and darted off, hauling a long flat piece of wood to the edge of the ship, tossing it over so that it extended down from the floor to the lake’s dock. 

“Now, remember, there will always be a place on _Voltron_ if you two ever want to come back,” Allura told them warmly. Keith and Lance nodded and prepared to depart, but before they walked down the ramp, the captain reached out and tapped Keith on the shoulder. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. 

“Think about it,” she said, pulling away. “Oh, and don’t forget to write! As long as you use a transporter stamp, your letters will always be able to reach me.”

“Will do,” Keith promised. Then a thought suddenly struck him. “Hey, would you mind sending a letter to your uncle in Wall? Tell him to tell Shiro that Keith is okay and that he’s coming home soon.”

Allura nodded. “Of course. And other final requests?”

“I have one.” Keith and Lance turned around to see Pidge standing behind them. “If… If you ever come across, or hear anything about, anyone named Sam or Matt Holt, please tell me. And if you find them…” Pidge’s voice cracked. “If you find them, tell them that Katie is alive and well.”

Keith dipped his head, acknowledging the strange request. “I will, I promise.”

“Same here,” Lance agreed. 

Allura placed a hand on Pidge’s shoulder reassuringly. She and her crew waved goodbye as the two boys walked off the ramp and onto the dock below. 

“Remember The Slaughtered Prince!” Hunk shouted after them. “I recommend the pot roast!”

“Will do!” Lance shouted back, waving. Before long, both he and Keith had disappeared from the ship’s sight completely as they began the next part of their journey on foot. 

***

Haggar levitated a coin in front of Rolo’s face, dangling it at him tantalizingly. “So have you seen the star or not, boy?” she snapped, her patience wearing thin. 

Rolo’s eyes followed the coin. It was a rare, silver-minted doubloon-- despite being out of circulation, it could sell to a collector for quite a fancy sum, and he had already lined up at least ten potential buyers in his head. “Uh… Well, I can’t really remember too much exactly-- and I don’t know if this means anything, but…”

“But?” Haggar prompted. 

“But I did have an, er, acquaintance of mine-- a sailor-- come in awhile back-- maybe two or three weeks ago, I don’t really remember-- and we were bargaining and so I mentioned something about the Galra king succession and then--”

“Just get to the point already!” Haggar growled impatiently. She had wasted enough time with this clown as it was. 

Rolo blinked slowly, unfazed by the witch. “Uh… okay, so, we got talking and then I said something about hearing rumours about a star and my captain friend didn’t really have much to say about it and she just ended up telling me to stay out of it.”

“Does this captain of yours happen to fly an airship?” the witch questioned. 

“Yeah, she does. She brought some of her crew in with her-- let’s see… there was that large guy and this kid with a mullet, I think his name was Kevin? Keith? I don’t know--”

“Keith,” Haggar hissed. The name was so familiar, as was the description… It hit her in an instant. “Did this _Keith_ happen to have someone with him? A boy with--”

“Dark brown hair, kinda tan, wearing a large diamond necklace?” Rolo guessed. 

“Yes! That is _him!_ ” She leaned in closer to the merchant, bringing the coin to hover directly over his nose. “Do you know where they went?”

“Umm…” Rolo thought for a tick. “I think Allura said something about going to the wall for some reason, I dunno, I guess it has to do with that kid, Keith…”

“They’re heading to the wall!” Haggar realized. _And if they make it there before I do, then everything will be ruined… I must kill this Keith before he destroys all I’ve been working towards for the last four hundred years…_

Haggar let the coin drop on the floor, and Rolo scrambled after it. Without another word, she swept out of the store. 

Once outside and away from prying ears, Haggar rubbed at her ring. Her druids materialized instantly and bowed upon seeing her. 

“Good news, Master Haggar,” one spoke up. “The star is back on the ground. He and the other boy are headed towards the wall and will reach it within five days. You must hurry if you wish to catch them in time.”

“Good, good,” Haggar approved. A creepy smile peeled from her chapped lips. “I shall head towards the wall. Have no fear, my druids. The star is ever within our grasp.”

“What about this Keith?” the other druid asked. “What shall be done with him?”

“He will get what is coming to him,” Haggar hissed. “That pathetic little worm has interfered with my plans for the last time. By the time I am finished with him, he will be begging for the sweet release of death-- that is, if I don’t cut out his tongue first!”

The three of them cackled maniacally before the druids faded away, leaving Haggar once again to her lonesome. Oh, she would make Keith pay for crossing her. The star’s heart would be all hers, and no impudent human would get in the way. Not anymore. 

***

Rolo had just tucked the coin into his secret safekeeping drawer when he heard the shop door jingle again. He let out a quiet groan. After that crazy witch lady, he wasn’t really interested in dealing with any more customers today. 

“Can I help you?” he said in a dull voice, not even bothering to glance up.

“As a matter of fact, you can,” said a cold, sinister voice.

Rolo instantly froze. _No… No it can’t be…_

Slowly, he rose to his feet, levelling his gaze with the fearsome Galra prince that stood before him. 

Sendak grinned, but there was nothing nice about his expression. “Ah, if it isn’t Rolo. It’s been awhile since our paths last crossed, yes? But have no fear. I’m not here to open up old wounds.”

“Then what is it you want, Sendak?” Rolo said through clenched teeth. 

“My, my. What an unpleasant tone to take with your future king. But I’m willing to forgive old grievances if you’ll just cooperate with me. You see, there is something I’m seeking, and I have the distinct feeling that you know what that is.”

“What, a necklace?” Rolo laughed mockingly. “I have plenty of good necklaces here in the shop, if that’s all you’re looking for. If I were you, I’d go with pearls. They’d really bring out your eyes.”

Sendak slammed his fists down on the counter, leaning dangerously close to the shopkeeper. “Don’t play games with me! I know you saw it, and the boy wearing it too! Where did he go? Tell me! Now!”

“Or what? You’ll arrest me? Kill me? I’m not afraid of you, Sendak. Come on. Do your worst.” He held open his arms, challenging the prince to react. 

“Fine,” Sendak spat. “We’ll do it your way. Grab him!”

Two of the prince’s men snatched Rolo by the arms, slamming him down on the counter. Sendak withdrew a knife from his pocket, twirling it around in his hands. A sadistic smirk lit up his face as he stared down at the shopkeeper. “What should I take first? Your ears? Or your eyes? Or perhaps you are now more willing to abide by my request? What say you, scum?”

“Go. To. Hell,” Rolo grunted. 

Sendak frowned. “Such bad manners. Keep him still, boys. Let this be a lesson to all who disobey me.”

The prince raised his knife in the air, licking his lips hungrily as he prepared to strike. 

***

Sendak wiped the blood off his knife, feeling more on edge than ever. “That scummy little bastard had pride, I’ll give him that.” 

His foot nudged the body on the floor, and he leaned down and spat on it before going over to pick up the shopkeeper’s logbook from his desk. He flipped through it, his eyes resting on the words “Allura and crew-- lightning, 200, headed to wall.” There was a little star drawn in next to the entry.

“Sir? What is our next move?” one of his soldiers asked. 

Sendak tossed the book on the floor. “We continue tracking that witch. But there’s a short detour I’d like to make in the meanwhile. I believe I may know someone who may know something about this star. Now, where’s the nearest port from the wall?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why Sendak is so much fun to write, but he really is. Also I really did feel like I should at least grant Rolo a dignified death-- I would've written out something much more detailed and gory but I'd rather keep the fic at a PG-13 level. So don't expect any gore (from this fic at least).
> 
> I'm going to aim for a chapter a week at the very least and will update either Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays since those are my less busy days. 
> 
> THANKS FOR 2K HITS OMG <3 In order to celebrate, I'm working on a little sketch thing that I may post to my tumblr within the next few days, or whenever I finish it. And as always, all the comments/kudos/views are SO MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Thanks so much for reading, it's you guys that keep me writing this and not giving up on it.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Keith and Lance

The sun beat down on Keith and Lance as they strolled at an even pace down the dirt-flecked road. Lance was chattering on about something-- Keith was only half-listening as the star rapidly changed subject every second sentence. Instead, Keith’s mind wandered to the Garrison only about a week’s pace away, looming over him like a shadow. Iverson certainly wasn’t expecting him to actually come back-- and with a mysterious boy in tow, nonetheless. Anxiousness chewed away at him as if his stomach was filled with rats. 

He admired the frenetic energy that Lance had, gesturing wildly with his arms, his blue eyes lit up with excitement. Keith could feel a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. A warm feeling began to well up inside him, increasing his heart rate and making him feel weirdly light and fluttery inside. 

Keith’s hand lightly brushed by Lance’s, triggering a sudden bright burst of light from the star. Surprised, Keith raised his hand up to shield his eyes from being scorched by the iridescent beam. 

“Are you supposed to do that?” he asked, mildly concerned.

Lance frowned. “Do what?”

“That… that glowy thing. I don’t know, you just got really bright there all of a sudden.”

“Of course I’m supposed to do that. I’m a star! And what do stars do?” Lance huffed indignantly. 

Keith’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “Let me guess. Attract trouble? Annoy a boy named Keith Kogane?”

Lance gave him a light, playful shove. “You suck, Keith.”

“What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

The star suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widening as if something had just dawned on him. 

Keith halted and turned around upon realizing the other boy wasn’t moving. “Lance? Something wrong?”

Lance shook his head and let out a small laugh. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing to me.” Keith looked at him expectantly. “Are you gonna tell me what you’re thinking or not?”

“Uh… Well… I was just kinda wondering. Aren’t you tempted?”

Keith was confused. “Tempted? By what?”

“Immortal life,” Lance said quietly. “Like... say it wasn’t me. Say it was another star. Someone you didn’t get to know.”

Keith laughed softly. “You seriously think I would want to eat anyone’s heart? That’s disgusting. I don’t get what’s so great about everlasting life, anyways. Wouldn’t it get boring after awhile?”

Lance seemed to shine upon hearing the answer. “Yeah, totally. Unless you have someone to share with, it does kinda suck.”

“I’m glad we got that settled, then. Come on. We have to keep moving.” Keith offered Lance his hand, and Lance took it, grinning widely. He launched right back into one of his stories, this time about an incident that had occurred on _Voltron_ when he and Pidge had discreetly kept filling up Hunk’s soup bowl to see how long it would take before he noticed that the amount of food in his dish wasn’t depleting. Pidge had bet that it would take at least ten minutes. Lance had disagreed, however. He was willing to put his money (or rather, his chores for a whole day) on a full half-hour. 

Keith nodded and laughed along upon hearing that Allura had apparently discovered what the two were up to and subsequently sentenced them to split Hunk’s duties for a day to atone for the wastage of soup (and betrayal of their friend’s trust, as Hunk had put it). He was about to make some sort of biting remark about how Lance had totally deserved it when the faint grinding of wheels against the dirt became faintly audible. He froze, hesitating for a split second before clamping a hand over Lance’s mouth. 

“Shh!” he hissed. “Someone’s coming!”

Without giving the star a chance to react, Keith removed his hand from his mouth, instead grasping him by the waist and pulling him into the bushes. The sound of the wheels grew louder. Keith’s body tensed as he draped himself protectively over Lance. 

The star couldn’t help but emit a soft glow as Keith straddled him, his legs and arms placed on each side of Lance’s body, hovering over him so close that their noses were nearly touching; their lips closer than they’d ever been before. Keith resisted the temptation to close the gap, his heart pounding wildly as they made eye contact. 

Lance’s breath hitched as Keith gazed down at him, his eyes wide with some kind of emotion he couldn’t quite place-- something tender, or caring, perhaps. It was like time slowed down for him, and all he could think about was the edge of Keith’s jaw, the brief flicker of terror that passed through his eyes, his dark eyebrows knitted together with concern. 

“Keith…” Lance breathed. A small smirk twisted its way onto his mouth. “Can’t get enough of me, eh?”

Keith’s face reddened. “S-Shut up. Now stay still. I’m gonna go check if the coast is clear.”

He lifted his head up, peering out over the grass. A yellow caravan rattled towards them at a steady pace. Atop it sat a familiar figure-- Keith furrowed his brow trying to place her face-- when he realized it was the woman he had met at the port weeks earlier. She had come out of the back and paid Allura for the energy canister. 

Quickly doing the math, Keith pondered how much faster it would take to get to the wall by wagon. He stood up. “Hey! Over here!”

“Keith! What are you doing?” Lance hissed as the caravan slowed down and ground to a halt beside the two young men in the bushes. 

“Relax, Lance. It’s Allura’s friend, from the port.”

Nyma glanced down at the young man who had flagged her over. He looked strangely familiar-- wasn’t he one of Allura’s crew? What was he doing all the way out here?

“Do I know you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes down at Keith. 

“I certainly hope so~” Lance said with a grin, winking flirtatiously. “I know I never forget a pretty face such as yours, babe.”

“I believe we’ve met before,” Keith replied smoothly, elbowing Lance in the ribs. “My name is Keith Kogane, and I sailed with Captain Allura of _Voltron_. You work with Rolo, correct?”

She nodded, once again failing completely to acknowledge Lance. “I remember you now. Well? Do you need something?”

Keith nodded. “We need a ride to the wall. I, uh, have some gold, if you want.” He held up a small pouch and rattled it. 

Nyma’s eyes traced the pouch. She looked back at Keith, and then behind her at the caravan. “Fine. I’ll take the gold. Climb in.”

Keith tossed the pouch at her and began to ascend the small, crooked set of stairs at the back of the caravan. 

“Hold on!” Nyma called out. She slid off her perch at the front of the caravan and walked over to where Keith stood. “I’m afraid I don’t have much room back there, so, I think I’m gonna have to, er, adjust some things.”

“What kind of--” He was cut short by a bolt of magic cast out of the witch’s hands, striking him in the chest. 

“KEITH!” Lance yelped. He rushed over and bent down to where his friend-- or what he believed to be his friend-- lay. On the place where Keith had stood was a small black mouse. It twitched its whiskers at him, letting out a small squeak. 

Lance stood up and whirled around to face Nyma. “Hey! Lady! I don’t care how gorgeous you are! You better turn him back RIGHT NOW!”

Nyma ignored him and scooped Keith into her hands. She opened up the back door and placed him into a little cage. “There. You’ll be fine until we get to the next town. Then you’re on your own, okay?”

“You can’t just do that to my friend! Hey! Over here! Lady! Look at me!” Lance waved his arms at her, yelling as loud as his lungs could manage. “Come on! I really don’t wanna hit a girl, but you’re leaving me no choice! Hot or not, here I come!” 

He rushed at her, his palms angled as if to shove her down. But before he even got close, some kind of invisible barrier pushed him back. He tried again and was met with repeated failure. 

Finally, Lance stopped. He sighed, dropping his arms to his side. “Okay, so, apparently you can’t make any kind of contact with me, right? So you can’t hear me or see me? At all?”

Nyma didn’t respond as she made her way back to the front of the caravan, preparing to take off. 

“Fine!” Lance shouted at her. “Your clothes are really tacky and so last season anyways! I’m gonna go over here with Keith and lemme tell you, if you don’t turn him back I’m gonna be your own personal poltergeist!” He opened the door to the back of the caravan and squeezed in beside Keith’s cage, pushing boxes to the side to clear a small space. 

Lance gripped onto a large and heavy crate as the caravan jostled into motion. He let out a sigh, gazing over at the mouse. Keith’s nose twitched at him, as if to acknowledge his presence. 

“Don’t worry, buddy, I’m gonna get you out of here,” the star promised. “That dumb witch is gonna regret the day she decided to mess with us! Right, Keith?”

The mouse seemed to squeak in response. 

Lance sat up, gazing intently into Keith’s cage. “Keith? Buddy? Can you hear me? Uh… Nod if you can understand me.”

Keith jerked his head up, his beady little eyes fixated on something beyond Lance’s ear. The star followed his stare, letting out a laugh as he realized what had caught Keith’s attention. 

“You hungry, buddy?” Lance asked softly. He broke off a small piece of the block of cheese Keith was eyeing and poked it through the bars of the cage. Keith scampered over, nibbling on it gratefully. 

“I guess you… you’re just a mouse, then.” Lance sighed, reaching up to wipe away the tears that poked out of the corners of his eyes. “Good thing, too, cuz then you can’t make fun of me for being such a sap. But hey, I just want my Keith back, okay? Not like you would understand, anyways. You’re a mouse. You’re just worried about your cheese.”

He leaned back against a wooden crate and gazed down at the small animal in the cage. Keith remained fixated on the block of cheese Lance had given him, still stuffing it into his little mouse mouth. 

“Y’know, you may not believe it, but I know a lot about the world-- well, more than you might think, anyways. I’m not as dumb as I look.” Lance tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a strangled cough. “What I mean by that is… well… I spent a lot of time looking down on you guys, watching you live your lives, y’know; trying to score your dream job, falling in love, all that cliche stuff. And sometimes… sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like. Being human, I mean.”

He broke off another small piece of cheese and stuck it between the bars, smiling as the mouse took it in his teeny little paws and nibbled on it. 

“I mean, you guys do a lot of messed up stuff to one another. All those wars and corruption and mass killings-- that stuff is awful. You can’t even count the number of times I was so tempted to just turn away and never look again. But... despite that, I just… couldn’t. Not when there was so much beauty and life and _good_ still left in the world. I know you might not believe me, but it’s true. It’s there. Even though a lot of times, it’s hard to see.” 

Lance swallowed. His fingers reached up, trailing along the sides of the cage. “You’ve lost a lot in your life, Keith, but you haven’t give up. You could’ve gone home at any time and left me stranded. You didn’t have to care about me-- and maybe you don’t. I dunno. But what I do know is that every time I look at you, I see all that hope and strength and good that kept me drawn to your world. What made me not want to give up on you guys.”

He let out a quiet laugh. “I know, I know, I’m getting all sappy on you and if you were, well, _you_ right now, you’d probably tell me to stuff it or whatever. But the thing is… I may not be human, and I may not’ve had a human life, but I think I understand better now. What it is that keeps you guys going, day after day, not giving up. It’s… well, it’s love, isn’t it?”

Keith’s whiskers twitched as his beady little black eyes gazed up at Lance. Obliging his transformed friend, the star stuck another piece of cheese into the cage. 

Lance took a deep breath before continuing. “I know it sounds dumb, but I think I get it. Love, I mean. It’s like it’s… _unexpected,_ _unconditional,_ _uncontrollable_ and _unbearable,_ and-- and _strangely easy_ to mistake for loathing. All the time I’ve spent with you, Keith, I feel like I’ve gotten closer and closer to you, like close enough to not hate you-- not even a little bit-- and even when you’re being a huge jerk it’s still weirdly endearing and I like your stupid mullet because seriously, you’re the only person in the whole universe who could pull one off and look as cute as you do and…” He sighed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… is… well… I think I love you!”

The mouse let out a soft squeak, and Lance pressed his hand up against the cage, staring down at Keith, his eyes shining as he continued to speak. “Yeah, I know, crazy, right? But it’s true! Every time I look at you, or think about you, or do anything with you, I feel like my heart’s being squeezed so tight it’s gonna burst out of my chest! It’s like I’d go _anywhere,_ or do _anything_ for you-- and I’d ask for nothing in return, except for you to just love me too. No bargains, no special arrangements. Just you and me, against the world.”

His voice became uncharacteristically soft. “So if you wanna take me back to the Garrison, I guess I’m kinda okay with it. I mean, we’re out of Babylon candles, and there really isn’t much here for me in this world that isn’t trying to kill me. And besides, if that means I get to stay with you for just a little bit longer, I’d… I’d be happy. Cuz my heart belongs to you anyways.”

The caravan jolted to a stop, nearly sending Lance toppling to the floor. He gripped onto the side of the cage, steadying himself, while Keith let out an alarmed squeak. 

“You okay there, buddy?” Lance asked, and the mouse twitched his whiskers in response.

The back door swung open, and Nyma unlocked the hinge of the cage with her magic. She levitated the small mouse back onto the ground before snapping her fingers. With a gust of wind, Keith lay on the ground, looking extremely disoriented. 

“Keith!” Lance shouted, alarmed. He rushed over to his side and took his hand. 

Nyma smirked down at him. “Well, a deal’s a deal, kid. You’re about a day’s walk from the wall. You might even be able to make it before dawn-- well, provided you can stand up, of course.” She stepped back up onto the caravan and snapped her fingers. It rolled into motion, leaving the two boys stranded at the edge of the town. Out of the back of the caravan, a mangy black cat watched them retreat into the distance, a sorrowful look in its eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite being crushed by schoolwork I have no excuse as to why this chapter took me so long to finish, ha ha. Anyways, yeah, I'm still continuing with this fic and I'm not giving up on it as long as people still wanna read it. You're all allowed to come into my [tumblr](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/) inbox and yell at me until it's done :'D


	17. Chapter Sixteen: What's Worth Fighting For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to warn you, there is a bit of gore/blood mention in this chapter, but unfortunately, that's about as much as I can tell you without spoiling it. But if that bothers you in any way, just skip to the Keith and Lance part (heheheh) and don't worry about it :)

The sunlight spilled through the stained glass windows of Allura’s quarters. The pirate captain and her crew were docked at a nearby port after Pidge and Hunk had persuaded their commander to let them have a break after all the excitement they had been through with Keith and Lance. The two boys’ presence was sorely felt on the ship, and Allura didn’t have the heart to say no, provided they’d be back on track within three days.

To be completely honest, Allura was quite glad herself to get some time off. Holding the reputation of the fiercest pirate queen of the skies got so tiresome after awhile, and all she wanted to do was drape herself in a big, comfy quilt and sleep. Which is precisely what she did.

Surrounded by a row of her favourite stuffed animals, all of which had been gifts from her uncle or late father, she nestled down into the sheets of her king-sized bed and dozed off, enjoying what would likely be her only good night’s (or, rather, by this time, day’s) sleep in months. A jukebox cranked out a soft melody in the background, lulling her into a sense of comfort and serenity.

Hunk and Pidge, of course, let their captain have her sleep-in. It was way past noon, but they were too engrossed with building a catapult-like contraption on the main deck to worry or care what was else going on in the world around them.

Perhaps this was the reason neither of them apparently noticed the small troop of men that crept up the gangway, swords drawn at the ready. In fact, it was only by sheer luck and a small mathematical error that the confrontation began without any blood shed beforehand. Pidge had placed a large spiked ball they had accidentally broken off Allura’s favourite chandelier onto the catapult and flashed Hunk a thumbs-up.

Hunk returned the gesture and adjusted the goggles he wore over his eyes.

Pidge grinned mischievously as they released the lever, and the spiked ball went sailing over the side of the ship. “Well that’s—”

They were cut off by a loud scream coming from beside the ship.

Hunk and Pidge immediately rushed over to the edge, leaning over the railing to peer down over the small group of men below. They were all finely dressed, bearing the insignia of the Galra royal crest. One of them was sprawled out on the ground, the spiked ball embedded in his head.

“Those are Prince Sendak’s men!” Pidge shouted, pointing.

“What are they doing here?!” Hunk said, surprised. 

“I don't know, just get them!”

The captain of the small regiment craned his head to meet the stares of Allura’s crew. His face contorted into an expression of a shocked sort of rage. He turned around to quickly address his men. “We are proud soldiers of Prince Sendak! We do not surrender! Now let us conquer this ship in the name of Galra! Chaaaaaaaaaaarge!”

“Hunk, now!” Pidge hissed, beckoning over to the cannons. Hunk nodded in response. Wordlessly, they crept over to where the weapons were positioned, armed and ready. 

“On a count of three…” Pidge whispered, holding up three fingers. “One… Two… Three!” 

Within seconds, they began firing down upon the small crowd as they tried to make their way up onto the ship’s deck. The enemy soldiers dropped like flies as the projectiles collided with them, knocking their numbers down by half before they had even gotten on board the ship. The remainder drew their blades, pressing onwards to take the fight to _Voltron_ ’s crew.

“Cover me!” Pidge yelled, drawing their sword and leaping down at the Galra soldiers.

“Be careful!” Hunk yelled back, swivelling the cannon to knock another man off the bow.

“Yeah, yeah!” Pidge slashed ferociously at their enemies, using their small size to their advantage as they avoided blows and delivered up fierce ones of their own. “That’s for Dad!” they shouted, spearing a man in the chest. “And that’s for Matt!”

Within minutes since the attack had begun, Pidge and Hunk were already forcing the remaining members of Sendak’s militia up against the ship’s mast. Severely beaten and groaning loudly in complaint, the men hardly put up much of a fight as Allura’s crew bound them tightly against the sturdy wooden pole. 

Pidge stuck the tip of their blade to the leader’s neck. “Where’s Sendak?! What are you planning?!”

A strangled gurgling chuckle emerged from the man’s lips. “Prince… Sendak… will be king… and you… you will be brought to justice… along with your filthy wench of a captain...”

“Answer my question!” Pidge demanded, pressing the blade harder against his skin. A small ribbon of blood trickled out, running red down the tip of the sword. “Where’s Sendak?! Is he on this ship?!”

His eyes shifted slightly to where the door to Allura’s chambers was. “He is here… You’ll never… defeat him… Long live Galra…”

“Pidge?” Hunk spoke up, sounding rather uneasy. “I think we should probably check on Allura…”

***

Sendak snickered quietly to himself as he scaled the exterior of the ship. That pathetic broad had no idea what was coming for her, that much he was sure. His plan was simple. Draw the crew out into a fight and defeat them while he snuck in and took the captain out all by himself. This was his final obstacle, he was sure. After Allura was defeated, she would plead for her life and willingly offer up information about that star. His eternal reign was so close to beginning. 

“Long live King Sendak,” the Galra prince muttered to himself as he forced a window open and dropped himself into the captain’s quarters. He could hear music playing from behind the door that led to Allura’s bedroom. Perfect. She would never hear him coming now. 

Grinning wickedly, Sendak quietly opened the bedroom door. His hand flew up to his mouth to keep himself from laughing aloud. There she was, the fearsome Captain Allura, sleeping peacefully in her bed, surrounded by a menagerie of little stuffed toys! Oh, how easy this was all shaping up to be!

He drew his sword, creeping closer and hovering over the captain. His free hand reached down to grab her arm and hoist her up. 

Suddenly, Allura’s eyes snapped open. Her foot swung up into the air, connecting with Sendak’s chest and tossing him backwards. He landed with a confused _oof!_

Allura leapt out of bed. Still in her nightgown, she grabbed her sword and swung it viciously at the intruder. 

Sendak grunted as he blocked the blow. “You witch! How did you know?!”

Allura smirked at him. “You think I can’t hear you clomping around, along with that group of clowns you call your henchmen?!” she shouted over the clanging of metal. “That, and your breath stinks!”

They leapt back and forth as their swords whistled through the air. Sendak stuck his foot underneath Allura. She yelped as she lost balance, tumbling to the ground. Carrying her momentum with her, she rolled to the side, dodging the prince’s erratic swipes. Using a table for leverage, she hoisted herself back upwards, narrowly missing a rather hard blow. Sendak cursed as his sword embedded into the wood. He pulled it out as Allura jabbed him in the stomach, knocking him backwards. 

Up ahead, the sound of gunfire and shouts let the prince and the captain know that the battle raged ahead on two fronts. 

“What is it you were planning on doing here, Sendak?!” Allura growled, pressing him back from the door. 

Sendak sneered at her. “I know you sheltered that star. He has my necklace, and I want him alive. And once I win this duel, you’re going to tell me where I can find him!”

“Never!” the captain shouted. A surge of anger built up within her. There was no way she would hand over Lance to this horrible bastard. 

Snarling, Allura slashed at Sendak, using her elbow to smack him in the face and propel him backwards. He let out a surprised yelp as he stumbled. The captain brought her blade down with a decisive blow. Sendak twisted his body out of the way, but the sword came down without mercy. Blood splattered against the wall as his arm came clean off. 

Sendak screamed, dropping his sword and clutching at the bloody stump where his arm used to be. “YOU-- YOU BITCH!!! I’LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!”

“It’s over, Sendak!” Allura said in her most commanding tone. Her blade levelled at his neck. “You’re finished.”

All of a sudden, the door to the captain’s chambers burst open. “Captain Allura!” Pidge and Hunk shouted in unison. They stopped as soon as they caught sight of her, still in her nightgown, standing above the prince, whose severed limb lay limply in a pool of blood. 

Allura turned around to acknowledge them, and Sendak took this as his moment to escape. He clambered to his feet, spinning around and charging out the door. Within seconds, the sound of glass shattering could be heard. 

“Well… That just happened…” Hunk said, scratching the back of his head. 

“Yes… It did…” Allura mused, still in shock. 

Pidge wandered over to the severed arm and knelt down beside it, poking it, letting out an “Ewww” as the limb twitched. Grinning, they jabbed at it again and again, giggling to themself as they did so. 

“Does anyone want lunch?” Hunk wondered aloud. 

“I think lunch is in order,” Allura agreed. 

The three of them wandered back onto the main deck, ignoring Sendak’s tied-up crew as they made their way into the galley for a nice, warm bowl of soup. 

***

Sendak moaned as he dragged himself away from the ship and back towards where his carriage was parked. The two men that had remained there on guard duty immediately rushed to him, addressing to their prince’s wounds wordlessly. 

“I’ll kill her,” he muttered to himself as they bandaged him up. “I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.”

“Milord,” one of the soldiers spoke up. “We have received word from our scouts. They have located the witch we were tracking earlier. But your wounds are great, sir. We recommend that you head back to the castle--”

“To hell with what you recommend,” Sendak growled. “My first priority is to find that star. We will follow the witch.”

“But what of your arm?”

“Find a suitable prosthetic. I don’t care. None of it will matter once the star’s quintessence is all mine. Like I said, we follow the witch.” Sendak raised his still-intact arm in the air. “Onwards, men! Allura will be punished later, but for now, I want that star!”

***

Keith blinked, trying to focus the spinning world back around him. His body felt so heavy and odd— as if his limbs had suddenly grown too long and his head suddenly weighed more than a solid concrete brick. He careened over to one side as he tried to make his way back to his feet, his mind still muddled. One moment he had been talking to that woman… the next… he was so small… hungry… cheese… and Lance… Lance was there too…

“Woah there!” Strong arms reached out to catch Keith as he stumbled, and he found himself face-first into Lance’s chest. The star had a soft glow about him as he held Keith upright, a look of worry etched into his face.

“Cute…” Keith mumbled, his face turning red.

“You okay there, Keith, ol’ buddy ol’ pal?” Lance tried to grin, but his eyes still held a deep concern in them that he could not mask. “Did you hit your head on something?”

Keith drew in a shaky breath and, almost reluctantly, lifted his head up. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Here,” Lance offered, wrapping his arm around Keith’s waist. “Just lean on me and I’ll help you walk.”

Keith didn’t have the energy to protest. He felt the weight of his body press down against Lance, who smiled and patted his head. “Good Keithy-boy.”

“Idiot,” Keith murmured as his nose nuzzled against Lance’s neck, not bothering to mask the affection in his voice. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the thought of being in Lance’s arms made him feel strangely happy. As if there was no other place in the world he would rather be.

His stomach suddenly let out a loud rumble, and Lance snickered. “Didn’t get enough cheese, there, Whiskers?”

Keith felt his face burn in embarrassment. “My stomach just got a lot bigger, numbskull. You try turning into a mouse and see how you like it.”

“I think I’ll pass, thanks.” Lance suddenly stopped, pointing at a large, leaning wooden building a few feet in front of them. “Hey, isn’t that the place Hunk mentioned?”

“The Slaughtered Prince,” Keith read aloud, noting the sign that swung crookedly above the open door. “Yeah, I think it is.”

Lance pushed the ajar door aside and swaggered in. He frowned as he surveyed the empty room. The only sign that the place had been inhabited was the small fire that flickered in the hearth across the room from where he and Keith stood. “HELLO?! ANYONE HERE?!”

“Oi, no need to shout now!” came an annoyed voice. An elderly man stumped out from behind the counter, leaning on his ivory cane and scowling at the two boys. “Whaddaya want? Room for two?”

“Well, duh—”

“Yes, please,” Keith cut Lance off before he could make the situation worse. “One night, plus a meal and a hot bath.”

“That’ll be six hundred gold,” the man said, eyeing Keith up and down suspiciously.

Keith took a small pouch out of his coat and tossed it at him. “Keep the change.”

The old man’s face lit up with a crooked smile. He reached down behind the counter, cursing as he rooted around for a set of old brass keys, which he tossed back at Keith. “Room 201. Leave any garbage and I’ll charge ya extra. Dinner’s in half an hour.”

“Thank you,” Keith said. Now that he was so close to coming home to Shiro, he couldn’t forget his manners. He detached himself from Lance and turned to head up to their room.

Lance followed Keith, but stopped at the base of the stairs. “Hey, are you guys serving pot roast? Cuz my friend Hunk told me—”

“You know Hunk?” the man interrupted. He straightened up, leaning on his cane for support.

“Yeah, he’s like the best dude ever and he totally recommended this place, by the way.” Lance grinned.

“Well then, dinner’s on the house tonight.” The man flipped a gold coin back at Keith. “Don’t be late, or you’ll miss the pot roast!”

The two boys thanked him again and then clambered up the stairs. Keith unlocked the door to their room, and Lance bounded past him, throwing himself down on the bed. “Ahh sweet! A real, actual bed!”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh. “Calm down, Lance. Besides, you’re sleeping on the floor.”

Lance’s mouth dropped open, a look of pure horror etched onto his face. “What?!”

“I’m kidding. Jeez.”

“Heh heh, I totally knew that,” the star said, embarrassed. He got up off the bed. “Well, I’m gonna go take a bath, because my skin feels totally gross.”

“You do that,” Keith said absentmindedly. He watched as the other boy shut the door to the bathroom behind him before leaning down on the bed, exhausted. The Garrison was so close now, he felt as if he could hardly breathe. Anxiousness chewed away at his stomach. What was he going to tell Iverson?

_I’m sorry, but I can’t let you have Lance. He’s too important to the universe. And… and to me…_

The sound of water gurgling down the bathtub’s drain twenty minutes later brought Keith’s mind back to reality. He sat up, an amused smirk lighting up his face as he caught sight of Lance through the partly-ajar door. The boy was humming loudly to some song he had never heard before, wearing only a towel around his waist.

Keith slid off the bed and leaned against the door to the bathroom. “Nice towel,” he teased.

Lance let out a surprised yelp as he noticed Keith staring at him. A bright red blush spread across his face. “H-Hey! Don’t sneak up on me like that, man!”

“Heh. Sorry. I couldn’t help it.” Keith smiled at him. Then he let out a deep breath. It was now or never. “Hey, Lance?”

“Yeah?” The star looked at him expectantly.

“Did you… did you really mean what you said back there, in the caravan?”

All the colour suddenly drained out of Lance’s face. He stared at Keith, his eyes wide with utter mortification. “Y-You… mean… the stuff about…”

Keith nodded. His heart leapt in his chest as he awaited the answer.

Lance’s hand flew up to his mouth. “B-But you were a mouse! You wanted cheese! D-did you really hear everything I said?”

“Yeah. I heard everything. Now, did you mean it or not?” Keith said anxiously.

Lance let out a soft sigh. “Yeah. I meant it. Every word of it. Even the stuff about your mullet. But, like, don’t hate me, okay? If it makes you uncomfortable I’ll go away and never speak to you again, I promise, cuz I totally understand if you’re freaking out, like I get that I’m pretty hot but if you’re not into dudes that’s totally fine—”

“Lance,” Keith said loudly, cutting off the star’s rambling. “You wanna know what Allura told me, back on the ship before we left?”

“What?” Lance whispered. He was visibly shaking now.

Keith smiled and brought his hand up to lightly touch Lance’s cheek. “She said to forget all the glory I’ve been seeking, because what’s really worth fighting for has been right here the whole time.”

“You mean… Are you talking about _me?!_ ” Lance squeaked.

“Yeah. And you know what?” He paused. “She was completely right.”

Keith could feel Lance trembling underneath his touch. He gently ran his thumb along the star’s jawline. Their bodies pressed closer together, and Keith could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest as if it wished to burst free, pumping fiery warmth and desire through his veins. His hand reached up, lightly touching the back of the other boy’s neck. 

“I love you, Lance,” Keith breathed. “My heart may just be human, but it’s all yours, if you want it.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “Of course I want it! I want it more than anything else in the whole wide world! And I promise I’ll never, ever break it!”

“Good.” Keith smiled teasingly as his thumb lingered on Lance’s cheek, just barely touching him with a pressure light enough to make a shiver run up the star’s spine.

“Are you going to kiss me now?” Lance whispered, sounding as if he had forgotten how to breathe.

Time slowed down as Keith leaned in, pressing his lips to Lance’s. It began slow and chaste, and Keith found himself wondering if Lance would realize that this kiss was his first. But he plunged ahead regardless, his hand hovering up to the small of Lance’s back, drawing him in closer. The star’s eyes were closed, and he let out a small, ecstatic moan as his tongue met Keith’s.

Everything else seemed to dissolve away around them, Keith only keeping track of the seconds that passed through the nearly audible pounding of his heart. A small fire burned in the pit of his stomach as he grasped onto the back of Lance’s towel, leaning him backwards, pushing him up against the wall.

Lance drew his lips away from Keith’s and glanced downwards, fiddling with the clasp on the long burgundy coat. Keith leaned his head up and moaned as Lance slid the jacket off his shoulders, loosening the ties on his shirt before peppering kisses along his now-exposed neck.

“Lance… ahhh…” Keith gasped out, feeling his shirt hanging loose off his shoulders. He was burning now, burning with such a fierce desire that drew him into Lance, making him crave more and more of his lips, his body, his everything.

Lance grinned teasingly as he pressed his hips against Keith’s, wrapping his legs around him as Keith hoisted him up against the wall. Their lips met again, fervently pushing into one another amid little gasps of air. Keith’s instincts had completely taken control of him. All that mattered to him now was Lance. Irritatingly beautiful, amazing, sweet Lance, under whom he felt himself melt. 

Lance touched his forehead to Keith’s, panting slightly as he eased off. “I love you, Keith Kogane,” he whispered. “I love you so freaking much that it’s kinda crazy.”

Keith laughed softly. “I love you too, Lance.” He stole a quick kiss as he scooped the star off his feet and carried him bridal-style over to the bed.

Hovering over Lance, Keith bent down to kiss his neck, when a sudden sharp knock at the door caused him to freeze. 

“Pot roast’s ready!” yelled the gruff voice of the man from downstairs. 

Both boys sat up, their faces bright red. 

“Do you think he knows…?” Lance whispered. 

“Knows what?”

“What we were… uh… doing…”

Keith shook his head, his face burning. “I don’t think so.” He got up, adjusting his shirt and picking his coat up off the floor. 

Lance scurried off to find his clothes, emerging seconds later from the bathroom fully dressed. 

Keith laughed when he saw how flustered the star was. He reached up and combed a piece of Lance’s hair down. “You look ridiculous.”

“So do you, Mullet,” Lance retorted. 

“Yeah, but you like it.” Keith leaned in to steal a kiss, and Lance’s face reddened at least three tones deeper. 

Their hands entwined, the two boys left the room as if nothing-- and everything-- had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took me a lot longer to finish then I had originally wanted :' ) I'm not sure if I should be blaming school more or my lazy procrastinating ass :' ) Anyways, if you're still sticking with me and enjoying the story, thank you so much and I'll try to update more often. This has been kind of a hellishly busy month for me with both art projects and with school, as I have been wasting much of my creative energy on my Pidge cosplay haha but thankfully it's almost done. I'm also participating in the Voltron Primary Paladins Big Bang, which I can't tell anyone about yet but it's gonna be klance and it's gonna be VERY different than this fic or anything else I have in the works. But I've been sworn to secrecy over the plot so shhhhhh :' )
> 
> As always, comments and kudos and views and whatnot are very much appreciated and you guys are all super awesome <3
> 
> [TUMBLR](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/)


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Disjunction

Light filtered in from the partly-drawn curtains and splashed against Keith’s eyelids. He let out a soft groan as his eyes opened, the fog in his head slowly draining out. Beside him, Lance stirred, a warm glow emanating from his face. Keith’s face reddened at the realization that they were both partially naked, memories of the previous night coming back in a rush.

 

But there was something else nagging at the back of Keith’s mind-- something he had honestly been hoping to forget about. Today was the day he had to cross back over the wall.

 

Part of Keith wasn’t sure why he was even bothering to go back in the first place. It wasn’t as if he cared about pleasing Iverson or getting that stupid job back. In fact, he would be more than happy to never have anything to do with the Galaxy Garrison ever again. Staying in this world with Lance, and Allura, and Hunk and Pidge and all the other wild and wonderful people and things he had encountered while here brought a compelling case to his mind, a case that begged for him to turn his back to Wall forever. And that would’ve been easy to do, if it wasn’t for Shiro. 

 

Shiro was the reason he was going back. In the late hours of the night, Keith had mulled this over, convincing himself over and over again that seeing his brother again and explaining to him the adventures he had gone on would be worth it. Plus, he was more than happy to introduce him to Lance, perhaps as a more permanent living arrangement if the star insisted on remaining on the ground. Keith was sure Shiro would welcome him with open arms. 

 

But if Shiro was all he was going back for, why did he feel the urge to return to the Garrison? The more Keith pondered this, the more he realized it was merely for the smug satisfaction of wiping that smirk off Iverson’s face. Of course the Garrison official didn’t believe Keith would fulfill the task, or even expected to see him again. The thought of Iverson keeling over upon seeing Keith waiting in his office, a star sample in hand, would be enough to fuel Keith to cross the wall ten times if he had to. Keith Kogane may have been arrogant, and even a little rude, but he was not pathetic, and he wanted to be dead sure Iverson knew this. 

 

“Keeeeiiiiith…” Lance mumbled, shaking the other boy from his thoughts.

 

“Hey, Lance,” Keith said softly in reply. He bent down and kissed him on the forehead. “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.”

 

Though his eyes were still closed, Lance smiled. “‘Kay. Love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Keith wrapped his half of the blanket around the other boy, giving him another kiss before sliding out of bed. “And I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

 

Keith dressed quickly, making sure to be as quiet as he possibly could in order to not wake the sleeping star. He pulled his arms through his coat and adjusted his belt, staring at himself in the mirror one last time. His hair had grown longer, but, thanks to Allura’s care, was more kempt than ever, and the boots he wore certainly made him feel taller. But those weren’t the only changes to have come over the boy in this long month. The longer Keith stared into the mirror, the less he recognized himself-- or who he had thought himself to be. There was something off about his reflection-- perhaps his eyes, which instead of appearing tired and bored, looked almost… wizened. He knew it was impossible for someone to age so much in just a month, yet there he was, looking at himself with a kind of curiosity and amazement. 

 

The boy in the mirror was no longer just a boy, but a man. 

 

Keith turned away from his own reflection to gaze back at Lance, who was sprawled out across the bed and snoring loudly. An idea suddenly struck him. Slowly, Keith pulled his knife out of its sheath. He reached down and gently lifted up a piece of Lance’s hair, severing it. Picking up the piece of cloth draped over the bedside table, he wrapped the hair up and tucked it into his pocket. Iverson couldn’t complain about the lack of star sample now. 

 

Slowly, carefully, he twisted the doorknob open, making sure not to disturb Lance as he closed it behind him. “I’ll see you soon,” he whispered into the room, turning the knob gently so the only sound it made was a soft click. 

 

Keith crept down the stairs. The owner of the inn was already awake, reading a newspaper on a couch next to the fireplace. He glanced up at Keith, muttered something unintelligible, and went back to his paper.

 

“Hey, excuse me,” Keith spoke up, and the man looked at him again. 

 

“Awfully early for you to be leaving. You got somewhere to be?”

 

Keith nodded. “I do, but I’ll be back in town soon. Just-- can you take a message for me? It’s for my friend. Upstairs.”

 

“Sure, kid,” the owner said tiredly. He looked at Keith incredibly impatiently, as if waiting for the boy to say his piece and get out so he could go back to his newspaper. 

 

“Tell him…” Keith hesitated. “Uh, tell him I’ve gone to do something important-- that I’ve found what I was looking for and now I have some unfinished business to take care of so I can move on.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” The man waved him away, and Keith took this as his cue to leave. 

 

The fresh crisp morning air of the marketplace town came as a relief to Keith after spending all night in a stuffy inn. He took in a deep breath, adjusted his coat, and without looking back, set off to cross the wall. It was time for Iverson to get his payback. 

 

***

 

Lance’s eyelids slowly fluttered open. Everything in his mind was still a blur-- the kisses, the pot roast, the-- wait, where was Keith? 

 

“Hey, Keith? Keith? You there, babe?” he called out, but there was no response. 

 

The star frowned. That was weird. He vaguely recalled a few hours earlier, when Keith had gotten out of bed for something, but for some reason, Lance didn’t have any memory of him returning. And now he was missing. 

 

An uneasy feeling began to dawn on him. He slid out of bed and grabbed at his clothes, which were still strewn across the floor. Was Keith in some kind of trouble? Why would he leave the room and not return? _What if the witch got him?_

 

Lance shuddered. The thought was too horrible to dwell on, but even the possibility of it only made him feel worse. 

 

Noisily, he threw open the door and clambered down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. “Keith, are you there?!”

 

“Oi! Quiet down, will ya?” came the annoyed voice of the innkeeper. “Your lover ain’t here.”

 

Lance gulped. “What do you mean, he isn’t here? Where did he go?”

 

The owner of the inn lazily rolled his eyes up from the page of his newspaper and met the star’s intense glare. “He left, about two hours ago. Didn’t say where he was going. But he asked me to give you some sort of message.”

 

“What message?”

 

“Er… I don’t exactly recall his words… something along the lines of finding what he was looking for so he can move on…”

 

“Move on?!” Lance’s voice hit an octave higher. “What do you mean, move on?! Where?! From what?!”

 

“I don’t know any of that!” the man’s voice sounded highly irritated. “I’m just telling you what he told me, that’s all there is to it. But personally, if I had to wager a guess, I’d say you’ve been dumped.”

 

“D-Dumped?” Lance’s eyes widened. “No… No, you have to be wrong! Keith wouldn’t dump me! He wouldn’t… would he…?”

 

The innkeeper shrugged. “I dunno. Not really my place to say for sure. I’m just telling you what it looks like. Trust me, I’ve been in this business for over thirty years, and when a guy walks off on his so-called ‘sweetheart’ after spending a night at an inn together, I’d put my money on the fact he ain’t ever coming back. Sorry, pal.”

 

“No… no no no no no… This isn’t happening…” Lance felt himself lurch forwards, the world suddenly spinning around him. He gripped onto the bannister, holding himself upright. “Keith wouldn’t leave me… He wouldn’t… He wouldn’t…” 

 

“Well, I can’t bring him back, but I can offer you a complimentary breakfast if you’d--” the owner was cut off as Lance suddenly bolted across the room and out the front door of the inn. 

 

“Keith!” he shouted. “Keith! Where are you?!” 

 

His voice was droned out by the clashing and clanging of marketplace fervor, the crowd moving around him as if he were a rock in a stream. Nobody stopped to pay any attention to the distraught young man, who had by now sunk down on his knees, bending over and clutching at his heart as if he were in a great deal of pain. 

 

“Keith… Don’t leave me…” he whispered as a teardrop dripped off his face and splashed down onto his pants. “Don’t… leave me…”

 

The bitter reality of Lance’s situation began to sink in. He was alone now. Keith was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. The star was officially alone, with no one to help him or care for him as Keith had done. He might as well throw himself to the witch. 

 

Perhaps, a voice in Lance’s mind reasoned, if you go look for Keith, he’ll come back. You know where he’s gone. You can bring him back. Go. Cross the wall. 

 

“Cross… the wall…” Lance murmured to himself. He rose to his feet like a newly-reanimated corpse, his movements awkward and automaton-like. “To get Keith back… I have to… cross the wall…”

 

Without another word, he lurched forwards, his feet guiding him to the outskirts of the town. Within a few hours, he knew, he would reach Keith. And if not… If the rumours were true about the fate of stars who tried to cross… Well, it was better than being an abandoned star, stuck all alone in this miserable world, waiting for someone to carve out his heart. 

 

***

 

It was only a week away from the giant market that happened every year outside the wall, and Nyma was busy getting prepared. She was two days behind already on inventory, and of course the fact she hadn’t heard from Rolo in a while only served to slow things down. It wasn’t unusual for the two of them to go days, weeks, even months without communicating, since Nyma was on the road so much and Rolo was usually very busy this time of year with the port shop, but his silence was beginning to inconvenience her greatly. 

 

She locked herself in her caravan in order to focus, leaving her slave to keep watch. He was such a sad, pathetic creature-- she wasn’t entirely sure that the designation of “man” fit him anymore-- that even looking at him made her feel depressed. His greying hair was so matted, his beard so scraggly and uneven, and his eyes so empty that it was hard for her to allow him to take his original, human form. She much preferred the cat-- at least then he stayed out of her line of sight. But while he was required to be on guard duty, the human form was needed, that much she could not deny. 

 

The slave, for his part, immensely enjoyed the rare times he was allowed to be outdoors. A strange sort of excitement bubbled up in his chest. Maybe it was because he was so close to Wall, and to someone he had once known. This was his favourite time of year, and now it was even better that his mistress allowed him his solitude. He kept his eyes trained on the long stone wall in the distance, taking note of the man with the red moustache who sat on a wicker chair, tilting it back to lean up against the stone barrier, a teacup poised elegantly in his hand. 

 

From the distance, the slave could see someone else on his side of the wall approach. He squinted, taking note of a young raven-haired man in a long burgundy coat. There was something so intensely familiar about his quintessence that the slave began to feel overwhelmed with feelings of joy and longing. If it weren’t for the chain around his ankle, he would’ve gladly met up with the boy, determined to know what drew him to him so intensely. The boy couldn’t be more than twenty-- the slave stopped. How many years had it been now? Could… Could it be…?

 

He watched as the boy argued for a moment with the wall guard before stubbornly stepping back over the crack in the wall and disappearing into the forest beyond, no doubt heading towards the town of Wall. 

 

The slave was so immersed in his own thoughts that he almost didn’t notice a second boy approaching, a few hours apart from the first one. This boy seemed to stumble through the field almost robotically, his quintessence burning very dimly. Yet there was something odd about him. The slave closed his eyes, focusing in on the waves of quintessence the boy emitted. They were so bright, so powerful, yet something was suppressing them from reaching their full potential. 

 

Ah, the slave realized. A broken heart. 

 

Then it dawned on him. Hadn’t he seen him before? Yes… Wait a moment… It was him… and the other boy from earlier, who had hitched a ride with his mistress. Perhaps because he had been in animal form he hadn’t been able to fully realize it then, but now he knew. 

 

The star. The boy was a star. 

 

And the other one… _Keith?!_

 

All the information began to cumulate in the slave’s brain. Keith, and this star-- they were travelling to Wall. And now the star was less than a mile away; heartbroken, alone, and heading for certain death. 

 

“I’m sorry, mistress,” the slave mumbled underneath his breath. He picked up the magic reins and snapped them, the caravan jolting to life. Ignoring the angry screams from inside the caravan, the slave made a beeline for the star, hoping desperately that he wouldn’t be too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy :' ) things are starting to heat up :' ) 
> 
> So, since I'm not doing NaNoWriMo this year, I will hopefully be more on top of regular updates until I go into final paper and exam mode-- I'll try to get a few more chapters in before that happens. 
> 
> ALSO-- I have a new fic up, Far Longer Than Forever, which I will shamelessly plug here. It's my klance take on Swan Princess, which, though inspired by it, does have what I'm hoping will be a distinct and interesting plot. So, if you're a fan of Starbound, Swan Princess, or of fantasy or royalty AUs in general, it might be a good one to check out :)
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, and views and whatnot are all very much appreciated, and thank you for sticking with me :)
> 
> Questions? Comments? General ranting? Got any cool fic ideas? Wanna gush over klance? Talk to me on [tumblr](http://gay-like-soleil.tumblr.com/) anytime!


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Bet on It

The Galaxy Garrison was a lot smaller than Keith remembered, and, for the first time, as he approached the looming building, he did not feel anything for it. After all he had seen, and all he had done, it was no more than just a place he had once worked; just a small speck in the vast and brilliant world that he now knew lay beyond. 

“Excuse me, sir, we’re closed--” the security guard at the front gate started to say, but Keith walked right past him without even making eye contact. “Sir?”

Keith stopped. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the guard. “Tell Commander Iverson that Keith Kogane is here to see him.” And with that, he continued on his way without a moment’s more hesitation. 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed at the front doors forcefully with his palm, relieved that they had been unlocked for him. Iverson’s office was so close now, he knew. Each step increased the pounding of his heart. Gripping the small portion of Lance’s hair he had cut before leaving the sleeping star’s side, he inhaled deeply once more. 

It was time to uphold his end of the bargain.

He knocked three times on the door’s metal surface, right underneath the plaque that spelled IVERSON out in large, unfriendly bold letters. 

“Come in,” came a gruff voice from inside. 

Keith complied, swinging the door open and stepping into the office, squaring himself to face the desk and the man who sat behind it. Iverson was filing his nails, trying to appear completely nonchalant about the deal, but Keith noticed that the man’s hands were shaking. 

“Kogane,” Iverson’s voice rumbled. He did not look up. “I see you’ve returned. Come to tell me you’ve finally given up?”

Keith said nothing. He merely tossed the satchel with the hair onto the desk. “Actually, I found the star.”

“What?!” The officer sat up, staring at him incredulously. “That’s… That’s impossible! How?! Don’t tell me you actually crossed the wall…?!”

“Yeah. I did. It’s over, Iverson. I won.” Keith couldn’t help but sound a little bit triumphant as he delivered the news to his former boss. 

A bead of sweat dribbled down Iverson’s bald head. “Urk… I can’t believe… This isn’t happening… Keith Kogane could never cross the wall…” he whispered, pressing his hands to his temple. 

Keith waited as Iverson processed the information, rummaging around in his desk and pulling out a stack of paperwork, which he dropped on the surface in front of the boy. “Ugh… I suppose you can start tomorrow, Kogane. Don’t you dare be late, though.”

“No, Iverson.” Keith shook his head before meeting the man’s eyes. “I don’t want the job.”

“And you have to fill out this form to register the meteorite-- wait, what?!” Iverson looked shocked. “Are you a fool, Kogane?! You went through this… this task to get your job back, and then you tell me you don’t want it?! Was this just a whole elaborate scheme to get me to waste my time on you, boy?!”

“No, it’s not that. You see,” Keith paused. “I learned a lot from crossing the wall. I met a lot of really wonderful people who taught me things I could never learn at some space station under the likes of you. There’s a world out there beyond what we can see here full of danger and excitement and mystery that you could never understand. You were right about one thing, Iverson. I don’t belong here.”

“Damn right you don’t, you pathetic idiot boy,” Iverson growled. “Now get out of my sight.”

Keith smiled. “With pleasure. This place isn’t worth it anyways. And neither are you.”

Angrily, Iverson slammed his fist on the desk, sending the satchel flying. It burst open, scattering silvery dust all over the office. “This sample isn’t even good! You dare march in here and bring me a handful of this… this stardust?!”

Keith’s eyes widened. Where the locks of Lance’s hair had once been, immeasurable specks of dust now spilled out of the satchel, dull and lifeless. “Star… dust? No, that isn’t right… It’s supposed to be part of the star...”

As if on cue, the office door flung open, revealing a dishevelled Garrison employee that Keith recognized as being the man from the security gate. “Sir!” He panted, nearly collapsing onto the floor. “There’s someone here… He says it’s very urgent…”

Iverson’s eyes narrowed. “Who is it?!”

“Someone named… Shiro… He demands to see his brother… Something about the wall… or someone dying… or something… I don’t know… ”

Keith didn’t even wait for Iverson to reply. He was already bolting out the door, an intense feeling of panic shooting throughout his body. 

As soon as he burst out of the front doors of the Garrison building, Keith noticed someone at the end of the delivery driveway, sitting on a grumbling motorbike and waving frantically for him. Without hesitation, he bolted towards him. “Shiro!”

“Keith! Holy shit, Keith, it’s really you!” Shiro gasped out as soon as his brother came barrelling towards him, grabbing him by the waist and hugging him tightly. 

“Shiro! Shiro! Oh my God!” Keith sobbed, burying his face into his brother’s leather jacket. “You wouldn’t believe what’s happened to me! There’s this whole other world on the other side of the wall and it’s so weird and big and I met this boy who’s actually a star and--”

“Keith,” Shiro interrupted him. “I know. The wall guard told me everything.”

Keith lifted his head up, confused. “The wall guard?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain on the way, now get on, or we’ll never make it to Lance in time!”

Keith did as he was told, swinging his leg over the seat of the motorbike and grabbing onto his brother’s waist. Shiro handed him his spare helmet before revving the engine and swerving around, heading back away from the Garrison. 

“What’s happened?!” Keith yelled over the noise. “Where’s Lance?! Did something happen to him?! Is he okay?!”

“According to the wall guard, your friend is dangerously close to crossing over the wall! That’s why he sent me to come get you like this!”

“And he told you about the kingdom of Galra and the stars and all that?!”

“Yeah! Apparently you’ve been on quite the adventure!”

Keith laughed. “You could certainly call it that!”

“Well, we can talk about it all later! If Lance crosses the wall, the guard told me that he’s going to die! We have to stop him!”

Feelings of alarm washed through Keith. “Then hurry! Can’t this thing go any faster?!”

“Legally no, technically yes!” came Shiro’s reply. 

“Well, then, just do it! We can worry about the speeding tickets later!”

Shiro gritted his teeth and accelerated, zooming through a red light as the bike hurtled in the direction of the wall. “Don’t worry, Keith! We’ll make it! I can’t let my little brother down now that he’s finally found love!”

Keith’s face turned bright red. “You really don’t miss an opportunity to bug me about anything, do you?!”

“Nope! That’s what big brothers are for!” Shiro chirped cheerfully. “It’s the least I can do after worrying about you for a month!”

“Well, sor-ry! There weren’t exactly any phones I could use!” Keith shot back. 

“I know, I know! I’m just so thankful you’re alive! Just promise me one thing, okay?!”

“Yeah, what?!”

“After we rescue Lance, promise me you’ll introduce us!”

Keith groaned. “You’re never gonna stop teasing me about this, are you?!”

“Ha ha, nope! This is what happens when you have to find out about your little brother’s first boyfriend from the wall guard!”

“You are the worst! Brother! Ever!”

“Aww, Keith, come on! I haven’t seen you for a whole month! I think I’ve earned the right to bother you just a little bit!”

“Let’s just hurry up and go stop Lance already! Sheesh!”

“Okay, okay! Still as impatient as ever! I see there’s some things a life-altering journey can’t change!”

“Shiro, I’m serious! Hey, look!” Keith tapped his brother on the shoulder and pointed. Ahead of them, in the distance, lay the wall. 

“Hold on!” Shiro called out. The bike leapt up in the air as it bounced off the curb, off the paved street, and into the meadow beyond. He swerved, trying to regain control on the grassy turf. 

Keith gripped tightly onto his brother’s jacket as the bike bumped along the offroad terrain, still speeding towards the wall. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Flashbacks probed at his memory-- first the meeting between him and Lance in the crater, then wandering the forest, bickering with each other, which changed into a scene of them dodging the fiery attacks of the witch in the inn. He thought of being tied back-to-back with the star on Allura’s ship-- the first time they had ever shared what he supposed was some kind of heart-to-heart chat-- and working together with him, securing the ropes, harnessing the quintessence energy in the sky, and, of course, the dancing, which brought a blush to his cheeks. He remembered, vaguely, hearing Lance admit his true feelings for him while in the back of the witch’s caravan and Keith finally admitting his own feelings in the upstairs room at the Slaughtered Prince. And the kisses, the embraces… There was nothing in the whole world that Keith would’ve traded for that one night they had spent together, embroiled in their love for one another. 

But none of that would matter if they couldn’t make it to the wall in time. 

Keith’s heart sped up as they drew closer, Shiro lurching the bike sideways to drive it parallel to the wall until they could make it to the gap. 

“Don’t worry, Keith! We’ll be there soon!” Shiro shouted over the guttural noise of the engine. “Coran said he’d try to stall Lance until we get there if he can!”

“Who’s Coran?!” Keith shouted back over the wind, confused. 

“The wall guard!”

“He has a name?!” 

“Of course he has a name! Please don’t tell me you’re still bitter about him kicking your ass when you first tried to cross the wall!” Shiro grinned. “Besides, at least we know he’s a good enough fighter to ward off teenage boys!”

Before Keith could respond, Shiro sped up, whipping past the sparse trees at breakneck speed. In the distance, he could see someone sprawled out on the ground. 

“Oh no,” Keith whispered, a pit of dread opening up inside of him. Shiro slowed the bike down and pulled it to a stop. 

“Is that…” Shiro started. He shook his head. “No, it can’t be… It can’t be Coran…” 

Keith leapt off the bike and took off running towards the fallen man. “Hey! You! Wall guard! Coran!” He fought the panic that rose up inside of him. “Coran! Hey!”

The boy slowed to a halt and dropped to his knees, grabbing Coran by the collar of his shirt. “Where is he?! Where’s Lance?!” he demanded. 

“Keith!” Shiro shouted, dashing up from behind him. “Keith! Stop!”

“Tell me now, old man!” Keith demanded, his voice cracking. “Where is Lance?!”

Coran’s eyes slowly opened. “Lance… He’s…”

“He’s what?!” 

“He’s… gone…”

Keith’s eyes widened. He let go of Coran’s shirt and the old man slumped down. “What do you mean, he’s gone? Tell me!” 

Shiro reached down and helped Coran to a sitting position. “Please, if you know where Lance is, or anything that would help us find him, I need you to let us know.”

“Is he dead?!” Keith choked out.

Coran shook his head slowly. “No… He’s not dead, no. But he will be soon if you don’t do something.”

“What do you mean?! What’s happened to him?!”

“Patience, Keith,” Shiro reminded his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Oh, it’s horrible!” Coran sniffled. “He was taken, I’m afraid.”

“By who?!” Keith shouted, panic welling up inside of him. 

Coran blinked slowly, taking in the faces of the two young men who hovered over him. “The witch.”

“You mean the one in the yellow caravan?”

“No.” The old wall guard shook his head. “I wish that were the case, but alas. He’s been taken by the witch, Haggar, to her lair in the mountains. She’s a very dangerous foe, that one. You should only cross over the wall if you’re prepared to fight to the death.”

Keith stood up. “I’ll do it. Give me directions to Haggar’s lair.”

“Keith--” Shiro started to say, but his brother cut him off. 

“I know what you’re going to say, Shiro. It’s too dangerous, you aren’t prepared, blah blah blah. But I don’t care. I have to try and save him. It’s my fault he’s in trouble. If I hadn’t left him alone in the inn, he never would’ve been out in the open like that. I have to save him, and I’m prepared to die trying, so don’t try to stop me, okay?!”

Shiro smiled. “I wasn’t going to stop you, Keith. In fact, I’m coming with you.” He turned to Coran, ignoring Keith’s dumbfounded expression. “Do you think I can take my bike across?”

“Well, I suppose so,” Coran answered, sounding a little reluctant. “Just don’t leave it on the other side.”

“I won’t. Are you ready to go, little brother?”

Still in shock, Keith nodded. Shiro gently clapped Keith on the back.

“We’re in this together, buddy. We’ll rescue Lance, I promise.”

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith breathed. 

Watching as Shiro rolled the bike over and pushed it through the gap, Keith felt relief wash through his body. With his brother by his side, he was certain the odds would be at least even a little more in their favour. And for the first time in awhile, he felt something else, stirring inside of him. 

Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this still count as uploading a chapter on Valentine's Day? No? Well, I tried :' )
> 
> I realize it's been awhile since I last updated this fic, so let me reassure everyone that yes, I do intend to finish this fic eventually. I'll try to update more frequently, but school and work and stuff do get in the way, and, I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I actually lost the notebook I had all the chapter stuff in so I may have to improvise a bit, ha ha. 
> 
> Let me just say, very sincerely, that you guys, my dearest readers who are still sticking with me through my completely inconsistent updating schedule and continue to enjoy the fic, are so important and I appreciate each and every person who leaves kudos, comments, subs, bookmarks, or simply just reads this. Thank you so much. 
> 
> [tumblr me here!](http://supermarine-silvally.tumblr.com/)


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